Madagascar is the world's biggest consolation prize: it looks like Africa dropped a footprint on its way east. Everyone draws it as a smooth banana, but the west coast is chewed into bays and peninsulas while the east coast runs smooth — and getting those on the right sides is the whole game.
The shape at a glance
Madagascar is a very long, narrow island about three times taller than wide, tilted so its top leans slightly right. The east coast, facing the open Indian Ocean, is one long smooth convex curve; the west coast, facing Mozambique, is scalloped with bays and bulging peninsulas. The north ends in a pointed nose, the middle has a noticeable bulge on the east side around the Masoala peninsula, and the south tapers gradually to a rounded heel.
Step by step
- Start with a long narrow vertical shape, about three times taller than wide, tilted so the top tips slightly to the right.
- Draw the right edge as one long, smooth, outward-bowing curve from tip to base — the Indian Ocean side.
- Point the top into a sharpish nose — the northern tip — with a slight hook.
- Scallop the left edge with alternating shallow bays and bulges: the Mozambique Channel side, visibly rougher than the right.
- Add a distinct outward bump on the upper-right of the east coast for the Masoala peninsula, the island's one big east-side feature.
- Taper the bottom quarter gradually into a rounded heel, narrower than the middle but not a sharp point.
Mistakes that cost you points
- Putting the smooth coast on the west — the calm straight side faces the open ocean to the east.
- Drawing a uniform banana with no width change, when the middle is clearly the widest part.
- Blunting the northern nose into a rounded cap.
- Making the island too fat; even at its widest it is strikingly slender.
Place it on the map
Madagascar floats off Africa's southeast coast, across the Mozambique Channel from Mozambique itself. Place Africa's east coast running down past Kenya and Tanzania, and the big island shadowing the channel below them is Madagascar.
Pro tip: Match the island's tilt to the African coast it faces: the two run roughly parallel. Draw your mainland coastline first at the right slant, then set Madagascar alongside it like a shadow, and both the angle and the gap come out right.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you draw Madagascar from memory?
- Start with the overall box — is Madagascar wider than tall or the reverse — then place its signature feature first and build the rest of the outline around it. Finish with the coastline details, then compare against the real border in a free practice round to get a 0-100 score.
- How hard is it to draw Madagascar?
- Madagascar rates as medium difficulty. One long island with a smooth side and a scalloped side — simple mass, but the tilt and the taper trip people up.