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Country of the Week: Madagascar


The Republic of Madagascar is an African island located off the coast of Mozambique and surrounded by the Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel. It was previously known as the Malagasy Republic and has a crescent population of around 27.6 million people as of 2020. Its capital is Antananarivo and the languages spoken are Malagasy and French. This country is known for its lemurs, because it is one of the world’s largest islands, baobabs, chameleons and because of the DreamWorks movie Madagascar. So, let's see what else we can learn about this nation!


The first to inhabit Madagascar are rumoured to be Austronesian and East African people around 700 CE. In the 1500s, European people arrived, yet their written accounts do not say there was a large kingdom or empire. Some portuguese explorers visited the island too, and experienced the arrival of a group of Afro-Arabs (“Moors from Malindi”) that later merged with the locals and formed a group called the Antemoro. They established a theocratic state by the 1630s.


The capital, Antananarivo (formerly known as Tananarive), is one of the places worth visiting, where one can see the mix of French colonial influences and Malagasy culture, as well as the Lemur’s Park, Tsimbazaza park, the Pirate’s Museum, and the 17th century Queen’s Palace built by the Imerina kings who settled in 1794 and ruled until the 19th century.


Madagascar is massively known for its natural beauty and abundance, and an interesting but sad fact is that around 1,000 years ago, the 3-meter flightless bird called Vorombe Titan went extinct. They are the world’s largest bird ever -also known as elephant birds- and David Attenborough has an egg from this species.


It has a group of nomads, which are now around 1,000 and are called the Mikea people. They get their name from the forest located in the southwestern part of the country, and inhabit the area near Morombe to Marambo. There are theories that try to explain from what people they descend from, but no one is entirely sure. They live in huts and wear garments and cloths. In the dry seasons they sleep in the open air, and in

the rainy season they migrate to their small village and also go hunting.


Baobabs are trees native to Madagascar, and they can live up to 2,500 years old. In the country, one can visit the Avenue of the Baobabs, a beautiful place where these trees line the border of a dirt road in the Menabe region of western Madagascar. However, the negative news is that these trees are dying, and we recommend that you investigate why as it is very worrying.


Lemurs are a big staple of Madagascar. There are around 100 species of this primate, such as the ring-tailed lemur, the Indri Indri and the mouse lemur. The Aye-Aye lemur is also interesting, and a bit scary. Some say that if they point to you with their finger, they are announcing that your death will come. But do not think that they are creepy! They can be adorable too.


Last but not at all least, Madagascar is said to have had a queen who after the death of her husband killed all potential regents and many Malagasy call the period in which she ruled the “years of darkness”. She tortured and murdered foreigners, and isolated Madagascar economically from other countries bringing trade to a halt.




All in all, Madagascar is a rich country in natural resources and landscapes, and its history and people are pretty interesting too. There is a lot more to discover of this country than what can be put onto an article!


Antananarivo, Madagascar Capital : the city of the Thousand – Voyage Tourisme Madagascar. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from madagascar-tourisme.com website: https://madagascar-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-highlands/antananarivo/


Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2019, February 20). Antananarivo. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Antananarivo


Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2015, January 6). Merina. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Merina


Dresch, J. , Kent, . Raymond K. , Covell, . Maureen Ann , Deschamps, . Hubert Jules and Southall, . Aidan William (2021, March 10). Madagascar. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar


Population, total - Madagascar | Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from data.worldbank.org website: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=MG


Ranavalona’s I. reign of terror. (2015, August 4). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from MADAMAGAZINE website: https://www.madamagazine.com/en/die-schreckensherrschaft-ranavalonas-i/


The last nomads. (2014, July 18). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from MADAMAGAZINE website: https://www.madamagazine.com/en/die-letzten-nomaden/


The Mikea Tribe | Mikea Lodge. (2017). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Mikealodge.com website: https://www.mikealodge.com/les-mikea/?lang=en

Wikipedia Contributors. (2021). File:Flag of Madagascar.svg. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Madagascar.svg


Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, March 24). Madagascar. Retrieved from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar


Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, August 4). Madagascar. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar#/media/File:Madagascar_(centered_orthographic_projection).svg


Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, June 1). Avenue of the Baobabs. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_the_Baobabs#/media/File:Adansonia_grandidieri_Pat_Hooper.jpg


Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, June 1). Avenue of the Baobabs. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_the_Baobabs#/media/File:Walking_the_Avenue_of_the_Baobabs.jpg




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Hobson News  2021

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