About 160 million years ago, Madagascar broke off the mainland of Africa and this island grew in isolation into a land of biodiversity that’s unlike any other place on Earth. Humans didn’t impact this paradise until about 2,000 years ago, allowing the island’s spectacular and unusual life forms to flourish. Lemurs, giant centipedes, and miniature chameleons inhabit Madagascar’s landscape, which include tropical rain forests, spiny deserts, mountainous areas and dry deciduous forests.