The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2025 Africa

Country name Madagascar, in 35 editions.

The entry for Madagascar published Country name in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2025. The text changed in 12 editions. Each is shown as published. Country name in every entry.

editions changed the text
12
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Long-form name” (1990 to 1992), “Names” (1993 to 1995), “Name of country” (1996) and “Country name” (1997 to 2025).

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.

2025

Changed since 2024
Mark changes

Open the 2025 entry

conventional long form:
Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form:
Madagascar
local long form:
République de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
local short form:
Madagascar/Madagasikara
former:
Malagasy Republic
etymology:
  • a variant of the name was first used by 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco POLO when he confused the island with the Somali port of Mogadishu;
  • the transliteration was later adopted as the official name

conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar
local long form: République de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara
former: Malagasy Republic
etymology: a variant of the name "Madageiscar" was first used by the 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco POLO, as a corrupted transliteration of Mogadishu, the Somali port with which POLO when he confused the island with the Somali port of Mogadishu; the transliteration was later adopted as the official name

Central Intelligence Agency. “Madagascar: Country name.” The World Factbook, 1990–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/madagascar/country-name.

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