The Republic of Madagascar is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, off the east African coast. Madagascar has a long connection to seventeenth- and eighteenth-century piracy, as it served as a pirate haven and a stop on the Pirate Round, a frequent sailing route. For most of the nineteenth century, the country was ruled by a monarchy as the Kingdom of Madagascar, until it became part of the French colonial empire in 1897. It regained independence from France in 1960. The island of Madagascar is known for its biodiversity and unique wildlife.