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Lying in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island. Its isolation means that there is a wealth of unique wildlife and plants. To the east, the large central plateau drops precipitously through forested cliffs to the coast; in the west, gentler gradients give way to fertile plains. After 18 years of radical socialism, it became a multiparty democracy in 1993. Internal conflict over disputed elections in 2002 seriously damaged the economy.