Climate zones in Madagascar, 1991 to 2020
Share of Madagascar's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 730,613 map cells used cover 99% of the country's outline (about 590,842 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 56%, C (temperate) 33%, B (arid) 11%.
Madagascar has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Aw (tropical savannah), covers only 43% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Cwa (14%) and Cwb (14%). 8 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 31% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How Madagascar's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 11% | 3.1% | Cwb +3.3 percentage points | Cfa -1.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 20% | 9.6% | Aw +3.9 percentage points | Cwb -6.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 31% | 18% | Aw +8.1 percentage points | Cwb -9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 41% | 27% | Aw +13.5 percentage points | Cwb -12.4 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aw Tropical savannah | 41% | 43% | 47% | 51% | 56% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 16% | 14% | 12% | 11% | 7.8% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 11% | 14% | 7.6% | 4.9% | 1.5% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 11% | 11% | 13% | 14% | 15% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 11% | 8.9% | 8.3% | 7% | 5.4% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 3.1% | 4% | 6.2% | 9.8% | 13% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 5.7% | 3.9% | 5% | 2.3% | 0.6% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | - |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Madagascar and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Antananarivo | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
Zones found in Madagascar
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Aw. See data sources and licences.