It's suggested that lemurs made their way to Madagascar from the larger African continent millions of years ago and have since adapted and evolved into the diverse number of species we see today.

The climate of Madagascar is tropical, with a rainy season lasting from December until April and a dry season from May to November. The island's terrain is extremely diverse, ranging from coastal beaches and lagoons to mountains, rivers, grasslands, and desert. Many of Madagascar's plant and animal species are found nowhere else in the world; the island's biology is even more diverse than its geography.

In the past much of the island was covered by forest, but the majority of it — up to 80% — has been destroyed, largely for economic reasons such as logging and crop cultivation. The Malagasy people often carve out a subsistence living on a per capita income equal to US$200 per year, so on an individual level getting by often seems more important than preserving the environment.

With a human population topping 14 million, the island's natural ecosystems are strained and the people of Madagascar and are facing the need to address the problem of the diminishing rainforest habitat which is home to so many unique forms of life. Efforts are underway to expand protected areas and bring much-needed money to the country through ecotourism.