1 3 th - century ▁Ven et ian ▁expl orer ▁Marco ▁Pol o ▁as ▁a ▁cor rupted ▁transl iter ation ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁M og ad ish u , ▁the ▁Som ali ▁port ▁with ▁which ▁Pol o ▁had ▁confused ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁On ▁St . ▁Laur ence ' s ▁Day ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁Portuguese ▁expl orer ▁Di ogo ▁D ias ▁land ed ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁named ▁it ▁São ▁L our en ço . ▁Pol o ' s ▁name ▁was ▁preferred ▁and ▁popular ized ▁on ▁Renaissance ▁maps . ▁No ▁single ▁Mal ag asy - language ▁name ▁pred ating ▁Mad agas ik ara ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁population ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁island , ▁although ▁some ▁communities ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁name ▁for ▁part ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁they ▁inhab ited . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁At ▁, ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁the ▁world ' s ▁ 4 7 th ▁largest ▁country , ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁largest ▁island ▁country ▁and ▁the ▁fourth - larg est ▁island . ▁The ▁country ▁lies ▁mostly ▁between ▁lat itudes ▁ 1 2 ° S ▁and ▁ 2 6 ° S , ▁and ▁long itudes ▁ 4 3 ° E ▁and ▁ 5 1 ° E . ▁Ne igh bor ing ▁islands ▁include ▁the ▁French ▁territory ▁of ▁Ré union ▁and ▁the ▁country ▁of ▁Maur it ius ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Com or os ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁territory ▁of ▁May otte ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁west .