What is the national tree of Madagascar?

Madagascar is located approximately 250 miles (402 kilometers) east of Mozambique, a country along the southeast coast of Africa. Madagascar is surrounded by the Indian Ocean on all sides except for its western border, which lies along the Mozambique Channel.

Madagascar’s capital city, Antananarivo, sits in the center of the island. Hills and mountains cover much of the middle of the island. At 9,435 feet (2,876 meters), Mount Maromokotro is the country’s highest mountain.

Almost 90 percent of the plants and animals living on Madagascar aren’t found anywhere else in the world. That’s because strong ocean currents have isolated the island from the African continent, so the species living there haven’t traveled beyond the island’s borders.

The species thought to be most representative of the island (other than lemurs) is the baobab tree, the national tree of Madagascar. The thick, straight trunk of the tree swells into the shape of a bottle as it collects rainwater.