Everything about Madagascar totally explained
Madagascar, or
Republic of Madagascar (older name
Malagasy Republic), is an
island nation in the
Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of
Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the
fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's
plant and
animal species, of which more than 80% are
endemic to Madagascar. They include the
lemur infraorder of
primates, the carnivorous
fossa, three
bird families and six
baobab species.
History
Madagascar, as part of East
Gondwana, split from
Africa approximately 160 million years ago; the island of Madagascar was created when it separated from
India 80 to 100 million years ago. Archaeologists estimate human settlement of Madagascar to be between
200 and
500 A.D., when seafarers from southeast Asia (probably from
Borneo or the southern
Celebes) arrived in
outrigger sailing
canoes.
Bantu settlers probably crossed the
Mozambique Channel to Madagascar at about the same time or shortly afterwards.
The written history of Madagascar begins in the
7th century, when
Arabs established trading posts along the northwest coast and first transcribed the
Malagasy language into
Sorabe.
During the
Middle Ages, the chiefs began to extend their power through trade with Indian Ocean neighbors, notably East Africa, the Middle East and India. Large
chiefdoms began to dominate considerable areas of the island. Among these were the
Sakalava chiefdoms of the
Menabe, centred in what is now the town of
Morondava, and of
Boina, centred in what is now the provincial capital of
Mahajanga (
Majunga). The influence of the
Sakalava extended across what is now the provinces of
Antsiranana,
Mahajanga and
Toliara.
European contact began in the year 1500, when
Portuguese sea captain
Diogo Dias sighted the island after his ship separated from a fleet going to
India. The Portuguese continued trading with the islanders and named the island as "Sāo Lourenço" (St. Lawrence). In 1665,
Francois Caron, the Director General of the newly formed
French East India Company, sailed to Madagascar. The Company failed to establish a
colony on Madagascar but established ports on the nearby islands of Bourbon and Ile-de-France (today's
Reunion and
Mauritius). In the late 17th century, the
French established trading posts along the east coast.
From about 1774 to 1824, Madagascar was a favourite haunt for
pirates, including
Americans, one of whom brought
Malagasy rice to
South Carolina. Many European sailors were shipwrecked on the coasts of the island, among them
Robert Drury whose journal is one of the only written depictions of life in southern Madagascar during the 18th century.
Beginning in the 1790s,
Merina rulers succeeded in establishing
hegemony over most of the island, including the coast. In 1817, the Merina ruler and the
British governor of
Mauritius concluded a
treaty abolishing the
slave trade, which had been important in Madagascar's economy. In return, the island received British military and financial assistance. British influence remained strong for several decades, during which the Merina court was converted to
Presbyterianism,
Congregationalism and
Anglicanism.
With the domination of the Indian Ocean by the
Royal Navy and the end of the
Arab slave trade, the western
Sakalava lost their power to the emerging
Merina state. The Betsimisaraka of the east coast also unified, but this union soon faltered.
France invaded Madagascar in
1883 in what became known as the first
Franco-Hova War seeking to restore property that had been confiscated from French citizens. (
Hova is one of three Merina classes:
andriana - aristocracy,
hova - common people,
andevo - slaves. The term
hova was wrongly used by the French to mean Merina.) At the wars end, Madagascar ceded
Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000
gold stripers francs to the heirs of Joseph-François Lambert. In 1890 the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French
protectorate.
In
1895, a French flying column landed in
Mahajanga (Majunga) and marched to the capital,
Antananarivo, where the city's defenders were taken by surprise, as they were expecting an attack from the much closer east coast. Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of
malaria and other diseases before the second Franco-Hova War ended.
After the conclusion of hostilities, in 1896 the
French Parliament voted to
annex Madagascar. The 103-year-old Merina monarchy ended with the royal family being sent into exile in
Algeria. In December 1904, the
Russian
Baltic Fleet docked at
Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) for coal and provisions before sailing on to its doomed encounter with the
Japanese fleet in the
Battle of Tsushima. Before leaving port the Russian sailors were required to put ashore the animals they'd acquired, including
monkeys,
boa constrictors and one
crocodile.
During
World War II, Malagasy troops fought in
France,
Morocco, and
Syria. Just before the fall of France,
Germany planned to forcibly deport all of Europe's
Jews to Madagascar in what was known as the
Madagascar Plan. But action on the plan was never begun. After France fell to Germany, the
Vichy government administered Madagascar. During the
Battle of Madagascar, British troops occupied the strategic island in
1942 to preclude its seizure by the
Japanese, after which the
Free French took over.
In 1947, with French prestige at low ebb, a
nationalist uprising was suppressed after several months of bitter fighting with 90,000 people killed. The French later established reformed institutions in 1956 under the
Loi Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully towards independence. The
Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on
October 14,
1958, as an
autonomous state within the
French Community. A period of provisional government ended with the adoption of a
constitution in 1959 and full independence on June 26, 1960.
Politics
Madagascar is a
semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the
Prime Minister of Madagascar is
head of government, and of a
pluriform multi-party system.
Executive power is exercised by the government.
Legislative power is vested in both the
government and the
Senate and the
National Assembly. The
Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Provinces and regions
Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (
faritany mizakatena), and 22
regions. The regions will be the highest subdivision level when the provinces are dissolved by 2009.
The regions are further subdivided into 116 districts, 1,548 communes, and 16,969 fokontany. The major cities have a special status as "commune urbaine", at the same level as the districts.
Geography
At, Madagascar is the world's 46th-largest country and the fourth largest
island. It is slightly larger than
France and it also is one of 11 distinct
physiographic provinces of the
South African Platform physiographic division.
Towards the east, a steep escarpment leads from the central highlands down into a ribbon of
rain forest with a narrow coastal further east. The
Canal des Pangalanes is a chain of natural and man-made
lakes connected by canals that runs parallel to the east coast for some 460 km (about two-thirds of the island). The descent from the central highlands toward the west is more gradual, with remnants of deciduous forest and
savanna-like
plains (which in the south and southwest, are quite dry and host spiny
desert and
baobabs). On the west coast are many protected harbours, but silting is a major problem caused by sediment from the high levels of
erosion inland.
Along the crest of this ridge lie the central highlands, a
plateau region ranging in altitude from 2,450 to 4,400 ft (750 to 1350m) above sea level. The central highlands are characterised by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between barren hills. Here, the red
laterite soil that covers much of the island has been exposed by erosion, showing clearly why the country is often referred to as the "Red Island".
The island's highest peak, Maromokotro, at 2,876 m (9,436 ft), is found in the Tsaratanana Massif, located in the far north of the country. The Ankaratra Massif is in the central area south of the capital
Antananarivo and hosts the third highest mountain on the island, Tsiafajavona, with an altitude of 2,642 m (8,668 ft). On very rare occasions, this region experiences
snow in winter due to its high altitude. Further south is the Andringitra massif which has several peaks over 2400 m (about 8,000 ft) including the second and fourth highest peaks, Pic Boby (8,720 ft, 2,658 m) and Pic Bory (8,626 ft, 2,630 m). Other peaks in the massif include Pic Soaindra (8,594 ft, 2,620 m) and Pic Ivangomena (8,385 ft, 2,556 m). This massif also contains the
Andringitra Reserve.
There are two seasons: a hot, rainy season from November to April, and a cooler, dry season from May to October. South-eastern
trade winds predominate, and the island occasionally experiences
cyclones.
Ecology
Madagascar's varied fauna and flora are endangered by human activity, as a third of its native vegetation has disappeared since the 1970s, and only 18% remains intact.
Economy
Agriculture, including
fishing and
forestry, is a mainstay of the economy. Major exports are
coffee,
vanilla,
sugarcane,
cloves,
cocoa,
rice,
cassava (tapioca),
beans,
bananas,
peanuts and livestock products. Vanilla has historically been of particular importance, and when in 1985
Coca-cola switched to
New Coke which involved less vanilla, Madagascar's economy took a marked downturn, but returned to previous levels after the return of
Coke Classic.
Structural reforms began in the late 1980s, initially under pressure from international financial institutions, notably the
World Bank. An initial privatization program (1988-1993) and the development of an
export processing zone (EPZ) regime in the early 1990s were key milestones in this effort. A period of significant stagnation from 1991-96 was followed by 5 years of solid economic growth and accelerating foreign investment, driven by a second wave of privatizations and EPZ development. Although structural reforms advanced, governance remained weak and perceived
corruption in Madagascar was extremely high. During the period of solid growth from 1997 to 2001,
poverty levels remained stubbornly high, especially in rural areas. A six-month political crisis triggered by a dispute over the outcome of the presidential elections held in December 2001 virtually halted economic activity in much of the country in the first half of 2002.
Real GDP dropped 12.7% for the year 2002, inflows of
foreign investment dropped sharply, and the crisis tarnished Madagascar's budding reputation as an
AGOA standout and a promising place to invest. After the crisis, the economy rebounded with GDP growth of over 10% in 2003.
Currency depreciation and rising
inflation in 2004 have hampered economic performance, but growth for the year reached 5.3%, with inflation reaching around 25% at the end of the year. In 2005 inflation was brought under control by tight monetary policy of raising the
Taux Directeur (central bank rate) to 16% and tightening reserve requirements for banks. Thus growth was expected to reach around 6.5% in 2005.
Following the 2002 political crisis, the government attempted to set a new course and build confidence, in coordination with
international financial institutions and donors. Madagascar developed a recovery plan in collaboration with the private sector and donors and presented it at a "Friends of Madagascar" conference organized by the
World Bank in
Paris in July 2002. Donor countries demonstrated their confidence in the new government by pledging $1 billion in assistance over five years. The Malagasy Government identified road infrastructure as its principle priority and underlined its commitment to public-private partnership by establishing a joint public-private sector steering committee.
In 2000, Madagascar embarked on the preparation of a
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) under the
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The boards of the
IMF and World Bank agreed in December 2000 that the country had reached the decision point for debt relief under the HIPC Initiative and defined a set of conditions for Madagascar to reach the completion point. In October 2004, the boards of the IMF and the
World Bank determined that Madagascar had reached the completion point under the enhanced HIPC Initiative.
The
Madagascar-U.S. Business Council was formed in Madagascar in 2002. The U.S.-Madagascar Business Council was formed in the United States in May 2003, and the two organisations continue to explore ways to work for the benefit of both groups.
The government of President Ravalomanana is aggressively seeking foreign investment and is tackling many of the obstacles to such investment, including combating corruption, reforming land-ownership laws, encouraging study of American and European business techniques, and active pursuit of foreign investors. President Ravalomanana rose to prominence through his agro-foods
TIKO company, and is known for attempting to apply many of the lessons learned in the world of business to running the government. Some recent concerns have arisen about the conflict of interest between his policies and the activities of his firms. Most notable among them the preferential treatment for rice imports initiated by the government in late 2004 when responding to a production shortfall in the country.
Madagascar's sources of growth are
tourism;
textile and light manufacturing exports (notably through the EPZs); agricultural products and mining. Madagascar is the world's leading producer of vanilla and accounts for about half the world's export market. Tourism targets the niche eco-tourism market, capitalizing on Madagascar's unique biodiversity, unspoiled natural habitats,
national parks and
lemur species. Exports from the EPZs, located around Antananarivo and
Antsirabe, consist the most part of
garment manufacture, targeting the US market under
AGOA and the European markets under the
Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement. Agricultural exports consist of low-volume high-value products like vanilla,
litchies and
essential oils. A small but growing part of the economy is based on mining of
ilmenite, with investments emerging in recent years, particularly near
Tulear and
Fort Dauphin. Mining corporation Rio Tinto expects to begin operations near Fort Dauphin in 2008, following several years of infrastructure preparation. The mining project is highly controversial, with Friends of the Earth and other environmental organizations filing reports to detail their concerns about effects on the local environment and communities.
Several major projects are underway in the mining and
oil and
gas sectors that, if successful, will give a significant boost to the Malagasy economy. In the mining sector, these include the development of coal at Sakoa and nickel near Tamatave. In oil,
Madagascar Oil is developing the massive
onshore heavy oil field at
Tsimiroro and
ultra heavy oil field at
Bemolanga.
Foreign relations
Madagascar was historically perceived as being on the margin of mainstream African affairs. But it eagerly rejoined the
African Union in July 2003 after a 14-month hiatus triggered by the 2002 political crisis. From 1978 to 1991, President Ratsiraka emphasized independence and nonalignment and followed an "all points" policy stressing ties with
socialist and
radical regimes, including
North Korea,
Cuba,
Libya, and
Iran. But President
Albert Zafy, taking office in 1993, expressed his desire for diplomatic relations with all countries. Early in his tenure, he established formal ties with
South Korea and sent emissaries to
Morocco.
Starting in 1997,
globalisation encouraged the government and President Ratsiraka to adhere to market-oriented policies and to engage world markets. External relations reflect this trend, although Madagascar's physical isolation and strong traditional insular orientation have limited its activity in regional economic organisations and relations with its
East African neighbours. It enjoys closer and generally good relations with its
Indian Ocean neighbours --
Mauritius,
Réunion, and
Comoros. Active relationships with
Europe, especially
France,
Germany, and
Switzerland, as well as with
Britain,
Russia,
Japan,
India, and
China have been strong since independence. More recently, President Ravalomanana has cultivated strong links with the
United States, and Madagascar was the first country to benefit from the
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Madagascar is also a member of the
International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the
US-military (as covered under
Article 98).
President Ravalomanana has stated that he welcomes relations with all countries interested in helping Madagascar to develop. He travels widely promoting Madagascar abroad and has consciously sought to strengthen relations with
Anglophone countries as a means of balancing traditionally strong French influence. He has also cultivated strong ties with China during his tenure.
In November 2004, after an absence of almost 30 years, Madagascar re-opened its
embassy in
London. On 15 December 2004 the
Foreign Secretary,
Jack Straw, announced the closure of the British embassy in Antananarivo to save £250,000 a year. He also announced an end to the DFID-funded Small Grants Scheme, the only aid Britain gave to this, one of the world's poorest countries. The embassy closed in August 2005 despite
petitions and protests from African heads of state, a European commissioner, the Malagasy Senate, many British companies, 30 or so NGOs operating in Madagascar, and members of the public.
The British Embassy was previously closed (also for financial reasons) from 1975 to 1980. The Anglo-Malagasy Society are campaigning to have it re-opened once again.
Demographics
Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed
Austronesian (for example
Pacific Islander) and
African origin. Those who are visibly
Austronesian in appearance and culture are the minority, found mostly in the highland regions. Recent research suggests that the island was uninhabited until Austronesian seafarers arrived about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. Recent
DNA research shows that the Malagasy people are approximately of half Austronesian and half East African descent, although some
Arab,
Indian and
European influence is present along the coast. Malagasy language shares some 90% of its basic vocabulary with the
Maanyan language from the region of the
River Barito in southern
Borneo.
Subsequent
migrations from the East Indies and Africa consolidated this original mixture, and 36 separate tribal groups emerged. Austronesian features are most predominant in the
Merina (3 million) ; the coastal people (called
c�tiers) are of more clearly African origin. The largest
coastal groups are the
Betsimisaraka (1.5 million) and the
Tsimihety and
Sakalava (700,000 each). The Vezo live in the southwest. Two of the southern tribes are the Antandroy and the Antanosy.
During the French colonial administration (1895-1960) and some time after independence, people were officially classified in
ethnic groups. This practice was abandoned in the first census (1975) after independence, so any recent classification and figures for ethnic groups is an unofficial estimate. There is for instance no mention of ethnicity or religion in the national identity cards. Also, territorial divisions (provinces, regions) don't follow any ethnic division lines, despite an attempt by the colonial administration in the early 20th century. Ethnic divisions continue, and may cause violence, but their role is limited in today's society. Regional political parties are also rare, although some parties have their most of their support in certain areas.
Only two general censuses, 1975 and 1993, have been carried out after independence.
In 1993 (last census) there were 18,497 foreign residents on Madagascar, or 0.15% of the population.
Language
The
Malagasy language (pronounced Mala-gass) is of
Malayo-Polynesian origin and is generally spoken throughout the island.
French is spoken among the educated population of this former French colony.
English, although still rare, is becoming more widely spoken and in 2003 the government began a pilot project of introducing the teaching of English into the
primary grades of 44 schools, with hopes of taking the project nationwide. Many
Peace Corps volunteers are serving to further this effort and train teachers.
In the first Constitution of 1958,
Malagasy and
French were named the "official languages of the Malagasy Republic".
No official languages were recorded in the Constitution of 1992. Instead, Malagasy was named the "national language". However, many sources still claimed that Malagasy and French were official languages, as they were
de facto. In April 2000 a citizen brought a legal case on the grounds that the publication of official documents in the French language only was unconstitutional. The High Constitutional Court observed in its decision that, in the absence of a language law, French still had the character of an official language.
In the Constitution of 2007, Malagasy remains the national language, while official languages are reintroduced: Malagasy, French and English. The motivation for the inclusion of English is partly to improve relations with the neighbouring countries where English is used, and to encourage
foreign direct investment.
Religion
Approximately 50% of the country's population practice traditional religion, which tends to emphasize links between the living and the dead. The Merina in the highlands particularly tend to hold tightly to this practice. They believe that the dead join their
ancestors in the ranks of divinity and that ancestors are intensely concerned with the fate of their living descendants. The Merina and Betsileo reburial practice of
famadihana, or "turning over the dead", celebrates this spiritual communion. In this ritual, relatives' remains are removed from the family
tomb, rewrapped in new silk shrouds, and returned to the tomb following festive ceremonies in their honour where sometimes the bodies are lifted and carried high above the celebrants heads with singing and dancing before returning them to the tomb.
About 45% of the Malagasy are
Christian, divided almost evenly between
Catholics and
Protestants. Many incorporate the
cult of the dead with their other religious beliefs and bless their dead at church before proceeding with the traditional burial rites. They also may invite a
pastor to attend a
famadihana. The
Roman Catholic church is open to its members continuing these practices, while more conservative Protestant denominations tend to condemn them to be
superstitions or
demon worship that should be abandoned. Many of the Christian churches are influential in politics. The best example of this is the Malagasy Council of Churches (FFKM) comprised of the four oldest and most prominent Christian denominations (
Roman Catholic,
Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar,
Lutheran and
Anglican).
Islam in Madagascar constitutes about 7% of the population. The Muslim traders who first brought Islam in the 10th century had a deep influence on the west coast. For example, many Malagasy converted to Islam and the Malagasy language was, for the first time, transcribed into an alphabet, based on the
Arabic alphabet, called
Sorabe.
Muslims are concentrated in the provinces of
Mahajanga and
Antsiranana (Diego Suarez). Muslims are divided between those of Malagasy ethnicity,
Indo-Pakistanis, and
Comorians. The number of
mosques in the south-east region has increased from 10 to 50 in the last ten years. Recently, there has been some growth in Islam through conversion.
Culture
Cuisine of Madagascar
Music of Madagascar
List of writers from Madagascar
Salegy
is a popular music form. There is a sudden interest in American culture and European popular culture, which is eroding the more traditional culture, and especially the music.
Miscellaneous topics
Andavadoaka, Madagascar: A small fishing village located on the southwest coast of Madagascar
Communications in Madagascar
Foreign relations of Madagascar
List of Madagascar-related topics
Military of Madagascar
Transport in Madagascar
Firaisan'ny Skotisma eto Madagasikara
National parks of Madagascar
Malagasy diplomatic missions
2006 Malagasy coup d'état attempt
Government of Madagascar
Malagasy consular missions
Cuisine of Madagascar
The Madagascar Project, Project set up to help Malagasy communities tackle the causes and effects of povertyFurther Information
Get more info on 'Madagascar'.
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