Endonym Atlas NAMES IN THEIR SCRIPTS
Country · MG

Madagascar in other languages: exonyms, Antananarivo and six provinces

Madagascar is Madagasikara in Malagasy, officially Repoblikan’i Madagasikara, and République de Madagascar in French, with the ISO codes MG, MDG and 450. Here the name stands in 166 languages and Antananarivo in 58, followed by the six provinces.

Official languagesMalagasy (malagasy), French (français)

Checked

ISO 3166-1alpha-2 · alpha-3 · numeric
Flag of Madagascar
ratio 2:3
alpha-2
MG
alpha-3
MDG
numeric
450
Madagasikara Malagasy · Latin

Repoblikan’i Madagasikara

Madagascar French · Latin

République de Madagascar

English
MadagascarRepublic of Madagascar
Capital
AntananarivoAntananarivo

ISO 3166-1, checked 28 October 2026. Official languages: Wikipedia's Languages of Madagascar, checked 28 October 2026. Flag after the Wikimedia Commons drawing.

01 · Exonyms

Madagascar in other languages: list of exonyms

Madagascar in 166 languages and variants, grouped where the spelling is shared, with ISO 639-3 codes and romanisation
LanguagesISO 639-3NameRomanised
English, Aragonese, Asturian, Catalan, Welsh, Danish, French, Friulian, Galician, Manx, Interlingua, Italian, Jersey Norman French, Ladin, Nahuatl, Norman French, Occitan, Romansh, Romanian, Aromanian, Sicilian, Spanish, Walloon, Irisheng / arg / ast / cat / cym / dan / fra / fur / glg / glv / ina / ita / jnf / lld / nah / nrm / oci / roh / ron / rup / scn / spa / wln / gleMadagascarsame as written
Afrikaans, Breton, Czech, Cornish, Lower Sorbian, Estonian, Basque, Faroese, Finnish, Kven, West Frisian, Croatian, Upper Sorbian, Indonesian, Icelandic, Javanese, Kurmanji Kurdish, Maltese, Dutch, Norwegian, Novial, Polish, Quechua, Slovak, Slovenian, Northern Sami, Somali, Saterland Frisian, Swedish, Silesian, Tetum, Tagalog, Turkish, Võro, Zazaki, German, Luxembourgish, Low Germanafr / bre / ces / cor / dsb / est / eus / fao / fin / fkv / fry / hrv / hsb / ind / isl / jav / kur / mlt / nld / nor / nov / pol / que / slk / slv / sme / som / stq / swe / szl / tet / tgl / tur / vor / zza / deu / ltz / ndsMadagaskarsame as written
Crimean Tatar, Gagauz, Karakalpak, Slovio, Turkmencrh / gag / kaa / slo / tukMadagaskar / МадагаскарMadagaskar
Bambara, Malagasybam / mlgMadagasikarasame as written
Haitian Creole, Igbohat / iboMadagaskasame as written
AzerbaijaniazeMadaqaskar / МадагаскарMadaqaskar
BosnianbosMadagaskar / Мадагаскар / ماداغاسقارMadagaskar
CorsicancosMadagassasame as written
EsperantoepoMadagaskarosame as written
Franco-ProvençalfrpMadagascârsame as written
Scottish GaelicglaMadagascar, Madagasgarsame as written
HausahauMadagaska, Madagaskar, Malgasysame as written
HungarianhunMadagaszkársame as written
LatinlatMadagascariasame as written
LatvianlavMadagaskarasame as written
LingalalinMadagasikarisame as written
LithuanianlitMadagaskarassame as written
Latgalian, Samogitianltg / smgMadagaskarssame as written
MoldovanmolMadagascar / МадагаскарMadagascar
MalaymsaMadagaskar / ماداݢاسكارMadagaskar
PortugueseporMadagáscar, Madagascarsame as written
Kalderash RomanirmyMadagaskar / मादागास्कारMadagaskar
AlbaniansqiMadagaskarisame as written
SardiniansrdMadagascàrsame as written
SwahiliswaBuki, Malagasi, Madagascarsame as written
UzbekuzbMadagaskar / Мадагаскар / مەدەگەسكەرMadagaskar
VietnamesevieMa-đa-gát-xcasame as written
VolapükvolMalagaseänsame as written
WolofwolMadagaskaarsame as written
ZuluzuliMadagaskasame as written
Abkhaz, Abaza, Altai, Avar, Bulgarian, Chuvash, Kabardian, Khakas, Komi, Karachay-Balkar, Kumyk, Lezgi, Meadow Mari, Macedonian, Mongolian, Ossetian, Russian, Yakut, Tuvan, Udmurt, Kalmykabk / abq / alt / ava / bul / chv / kbd / kjh / kom / krc / kum / lez / mhr / mkd / mon / oss / rus / sah / tyv / udm / xalМадагаскарMadagaskar
Bashkir, Chechen, Kurdish (Caucasus), Serbianbak / che / kmr / srpМадагаскар / MadagaskarMadagaskar
Rusyn, Ukrainianrue / ukrМадаґаскарMadagaskar
BelarusianbelМадагаскар / MadahaskarMadahaskar
Kazakh, Kyrgyzkaz / kirМадагаскар / ماداگاسكار / MadagaskarMadagaskar
TatartatМадагаскар / Madagaskar / ماداگاسكارMadagaskar
TajiktgkМадагаскар / مدگسکر / MadagaskarMadagaskar
ArabicaraمدغشقرMadaġašqar
South Azerbaijaniazbماداقاسکار / MadaqaskarMadaqaskar
Sorani Kurdishckbمەدغەشقەر / Mediẍeşqer, ماداگاسکار / MadagaskarMediẍeşqer, Madagaskar
Persianfasماداگاسکار / MâdâgâskârMâdâgâskâr
Western PunjabipnbمڈغاسکرMaḋaġāskar
DariprsمدغاسکرMadaġāskar
Pashtopusمدغاسکر, مدګاسکرMadaġāskar, Madagāskar
SindhisndمداگاسڪرMadāgāskaru
Uyghuruigماداگاسكار / Madagaskar / МадагаскарMadagaskar
Urduurdمداگاسکر, مڈاگاسکر, مڈغاسکرMadāgāskar, Maḋāgāskar, Maḋaġāskar
DhivehidivމަޑަގަސްކަރްMaḋagaskar
Hebrewhebמדגסקר, מאדאגאסקארMadagasqar, Mādāgāsqār
Ladinoladמאדאגאסקאר / MadagaskarMadagaskar
YiddishyidמאַדאַגאַסקאַרMadagaskar
Amharicamhማዳጋስካር, ማላጋሲMadagaskar, Malagasi
GreekellΜαδαγασκάρηMadagaskárī
ArmenianhyeՄադագասկարMadagaskar
Georgian, Mingreliankat / xmfმადაგასკარიMadagaskari
Lazlzzმადაგასკარი / Madagask’ariMadagask’ari
Hindihinमदागास्कर, मेडागास्करMadāgāskar, Meḍāgāskar
Bengalibenমাদাগাস্কারMādāgāskār
Gujaratigujમડાગાસ્કરMaḍāgāskar
Odiaoriମାଡାଗାସ୍କାରMāḍāgāskār
PunjabipanਮੈਡਾਗਾਸਕਰMæḍāgāskar
Sinhalasinමැඩගස්‍කර්Mæḍagaskar
Kannadakanಮಡಗಾಸ್ಕರ್Maḍagāskar
Malayalammalമഡഗാസ്കർMaḍagāskar
Tamiltamமடகாஸ்கர்Maṭakāskar
Telugutelమడగాస్కర్Maḍagāskar
Chinesezho馬達加斯加/马达加斯加Mǎdájiāsījiā
JapanesejpnマダガスカルMadagasukaru
Koreankor마다가스카르Madagaseukareu
Tibetanbodམ་ད་གཱ་སི་ཀར།Ma.da.gā.si.kar
Burmesemyaမဒာဂတ်စကာMádagaʿsáka
Thaithaมาดากัสการ์Mādākâtkā[r]
Khmerkhmម៉ាដាហ្គាស្ការ, ម៉ាដាហ្គស្គារMādāhkāskār, Mādāhkaskār

Bambara and Malagasy share Madagasikara. Swahili lists Buki and Malagasi beside Madagascar, Hausa Malgasy beside Madagaska, and Amharic ማላጋሲ (Malagasi).

02 · NamesU+2019 RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK

Madagasikara, Madagascar, Madagaskar

In Malagasy the country is Madagasikara and the state Repoblikan’i Madagasikara; French says République de Madagascar. The adjective malagasy serves both languages, and French also has malgache. Bambara uses the Malagasy form, while Lingala writes Madagasikari.

Elsewhere the k-spelling Madagaskar dominates, from Czech and Polish to Turkish and the Cyrillic Мадагаскар. Arabic stands apart with مدغشقر (Madaġašqar), and Sorani Kurdish gives an Arabic-style and a European-style form side by side. Greek adds an ending, Μαδαγασκάρη; Chinese writes 馬達加斯加 (Mǎdájiāsījiā).

The 2007 constitution added English as a third official language beside Malagasy and French, and the older list still showed all three. Today Malagasy and French are the official languages.

03 · Antananarivo

Antananarivo in other languages

Antananarivo in 58 languages and variants, grouped where the spelling is shared, with ISO 639-3 codes and romanisation
LanguagesISO 639-3NameRomanised
English, Esperanto, French, Malagasy, German, Luxembourgish, Low German, Irisheng / epo / fra / mlg / deu / ltz / nds / gleAntananarivosame as written
Azerbaijani, Moldovanaze / molAntananarivu / АнтананаривуAntananarivu
BosnianbosAntananarivo / Антананариво / آنتانانارٖىوۉAntananarivo
IcelandicislAntananarívósame as written
Kurmanji KurdishkurAntananarîvosame as written
LatvianlavAntananarivusame as written
LithuanianlitAntananaryvassame as written
MalaymsaAntananarivo / انتاناناريۏوAntananarivo
PolishpolAntananarywasame as written
SamogitiansmgAntananarīvssame as written
TagalogtglAntananaribusame as written
TurkmentukAntananariwu / АнтананаривуAntananariwu
UzbekuzbAntananarivu / Антананариву / ئەنتەنەنەرىۋۇAntananarivu
Mongolian, Russianmon / rusАнтананаривуAntananarivu
BashkirbakАнтананариву / AntananarivuAntananarivu
BelarusianbelАнтананарыву / AntananaryvuAntananaryvu
BulgarianbulАнтананаривоAntananarivo
KazakhkazАнтананариву / انتاناناريۆۋ / AntananarïvwAntananarïvw
KyrgyzkirАнтананариву / انتانانارئۋۇ / AntananarivuAntananarivu
SerbiansrpАнтананариво / AntananarivoAntananarivo
TatartatАнтананариву / Antananarivu / ئانتانانارىۋۇAntananarivu
TajiktgkАнтананариву / انتننریوو / AntananarivuAntananarivu
UkrainianukrАнтананарівуAntananarivu
Arabicaraأنتاناناريفو, أنتنانريفو, أنتاناناريفAntānānārīfū, Antanānarīfū, Antānānārīf
South Azerbaijaniazbآنتاناناریوو / AntananarivuAntananarivu
Persianfasآنتاناناریوو / ÂntânânârivoÂntânânârivo
Western PunjabipnbانتانناریووAntānanārīvō
PashtopusانتاناناريووAntānānārīwō
Uyghuruigئانتانانارىۋۇ / Antananariwu / АнтананаривуAntananariwu
UrduurdانتاناناریووAntānānārīvō
HebrewhebאנטננריבוAnṭananarīṿō
YiddishyidאַנטאַנאַנאַריװאָAntananarivo
AmharicamhአንታናናሪቮĂntananarivo
Greek (Demotic)ellΑνταναναρίβοAntananarívo
Greek (Katharevousa)ellἈνταναναρῖβοAntananarĩvo
ArmenianhyeԱնտանանարիվու, ԱնտանանարիվոAntananarivou, Antananarivo
Georgiankatანტანანარივუ, ანტანანარივოAntananarivu, Antananarivo
Hindihinअन्टाननरीवोAnṭānanarīvo
Nepalinepएन्टानानारिवोEnṭānānārivo
Bengalibenআন্তানানারিভো, আন্টানানারিভোĀntānānāribʰo, Ānṭānānāribʰo
PunjabipanਅੰਟਾਨਾਨਾਰੀਵੋÃṭānānārīvo
Kannadakanಅನ್ಟನನರಿವೊAnṭananarivo
Malayalammalആന്റനാനറീവോĀnṟanānaṟīvō
TelugutelఅంతననరివొAṃtananarivo
Chinesezho塔那那利佛Tǎnānālìfú
Japanesejpnアンタナナリヴォ, アンタナナリボAntananarivo, Antananaribo
Koreankor안타나나리보Antananaribo
ThaithaอันตานานาริโวÂntānānāriwō
Khmerkhmអង់តាណាណារីវ៉ូ, អង់តែនានារីវ៉ូĂṅtāṇāṇārīvū, Ăṅtænānārīvū

Russian, Ukrainian and several Turkic languages end the name in -u, Антананариву.

04 · Provinces

The six provinces of Madagascar in Malagasy and French

ISO 3166-2:MG codes six provinces (faritany), each named after its capital and coded with one letter. Below them the country has been organised in regions since 2004; ISO has not added the regions, so the provinces remain the coded level.

Madagascar, ISO 3166-2:MG: 6 provinces
ISO 3166-2MalagasyFrenchEnglishAdministrative centreChange
Provinces faritany6
MG-T Faritanin’ AntananarivoProvince d’Antananarivo Antananarivo Province AntananarivoAntananarivo
MG-D Faritanin’ AntsirananaProvince d’Antsiranana Antsiranana Province AntsirananaAntsiranana
MG-F Faritanin’i FianarantsoaProvince de Fianarantsoa Fianarantsoa Province FianarantsoaFianarantsoa
MG-M Faritanin’i MahajangaProvince de Mahajanga Mahajanga Province MahajangaMahajanga
MG-A Faritanin’i ToamasinaProvince de Toamasina Toamasina Province ToamasinaToamasina
MG-U Faritanin’i ToliaraProvince de Toliara Toliara Province ToliaraToliara

Codes and names: ISO 3166-2:MG on the ISO Online Browsing Platform, as tabulated in Wikipedia's ISO 3166-2:MG, checked 28 October 2026. Regions and provinces: Wikipedia's Provinces of Madagascar and Regions of Madagascar, checked 28 October 2026.

05 · Provinces

Provinces, regions and the codes

Each province bears the name of its capital. A constitutional referendum in 2007 removed them in favour of the regions, but the 2010 constitution listed six autonomous provinces again.

The regions themselves were created by law in 2004, 22 of them; with Vatovavy and later additions there are 24 today. Since they are not in ISO 3166-2, the province letters remain the codes in use: T for Antananarivo, D for Antsiranana, U for Toliara.

06 · Questions

Questions about the names and provinces of Madagascar

What is Madagascar called in Malagasy?

Madagasikara; the state is Repoblikan’i Madagasikara.

What are the ISO codes of Madagascar?

MG (alpha-2), MDG (alpha-3) and 450 (numeric) in ISO 3166-1.

Does ISO 3166-2 list the regions of Madagascar?

No. It codes the six provinces, MG-A to MG-U, and none of the 24 regions.