Madagascar — Stamps & Postal Service

Postal Service Overview

Paositra Malagasy (Madagascar Post) is Madagascar’s national postal operator. Madagascar — the world’s fourth largest island, located in the Indian Ocean off the southeast African coast — was a French colony (1896–1960) and has issued stamps since 1889. Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity makes its stamps among the world’s most popular for wildlife thematic collectors: the island is home to some 25 species of lemur (found nowhere else on Earth), over 300 species of endemic chameleon (including the world’s smallest), and thousands of endemic plant and animal species.

Notable Stamp Issues

Madagascar’s first stamps in 1889 were the standard French colonial “Commerce and Navigation” type. The 1903 and subsequent Madagascar colonial issues introduced local imagery. The 1930 pictorial definitives featuring Malagasy landscapes and people are attractive French colonial issues. Independence stamps from 1960 depicted President Philibert Tsiranana. Modern Malagasy stamps are celebrated for their lemur designs — ring-tailed lemur, indri, aye-aye, and sifaka species appear on beautifully printed stamps. Chameleon and orchid stamps are equally distinctive.

Collecting Tips

Yvert & Tellier covers French Madagascar stamps; Scott Africa covers independent issues. French colonial Madagascar stamps (1889–1960) are a standard French colonial collecting area. Post-independence Malagasy stamps on lemurs are the most internationally sought — popular with primate collectors worldwide. Chameleon stamps from Madagascar are outstanding — the island’s extraordinary chameleon diversity appears on many issues. The Tsingy de Bemaraha (unique limestone forest UNESCO heritage) appears on geology stamps. Malagasy vanilla and clove agricultural stamps have culinary thematic collector interest.

Part of the Africa Postal Directory.