What to eat in Madagascar. Madagascar Island – interesting facts. Beautiful and interesting places in Madagascar

Below is a selection of interesting data and facts about Madagascar. You can also see beautiful photographs of this island.

Historical facts about Madagascar:

Madagascar is an amazing island state in Indian Ocean, located off the southeast coast of Africa. Millions of years ago, the island was part of the single land of Gondwana, and about 60 million years ago it was the first to separate and become the first island on Earth.
It is known that the first people arrived on the island only 2000 years ago.
Interesting fact: for the first time Madagascar was noticed at the beginning of the 16th century by the Portuguese navigator Diego Diaz. Since then, the island has become one of the most important trade points on the way to India.
In 1896, the entire island became a French colony, and already in 1946 it received the status of an overseas territory of France.
Island state received complete freedom and independence in 1960 from.
Did you know that Madagascar has been renamed twice? This first happened in 1975, when it was adopted official name Democratic Republic of Madagascar. And for the second time in 1993 they renamed it to the name “Republic of Madagascar” that is already familiar to us.
In 1990, after almost 20 years of Marxist rule, Madagascar lifted the ban on opposition parties. And already in 1993, a new president was elected.
The official languages are Malagasy, French and English language And.
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. His coastline is 4828 km.
Interesting fact: the island is home to about 12,000 species of animals and plants, of which more than 10,000 are unique! Only here you will find huge fern trees and palm trees, amazing desert plants and animals such as lemurs! Hundreds of species are threatened with extinction, as more than 90% of them natural environment habitat was destroyed by unfavorable natural conditions and human.
The average population density is 33 people/km 2 .
The majority of the population professes a local religion, which is based on the connection between the living and the dead. However, 40% of the population are Christians of the Roman Catholic Church. It's interesting to know that big number population is trying to combine two religions. At the end of the 90th - at the beginning of the 21st century, Islam and Orthodoxy began to actively spread.
There are more than 30 different species of lemurs living throughout the island - interesting fact!
About half of the chameleon species (more than 60) are found only in this island nation.
Madagascar is often called the Great Red Island. This is explained by the fact that the soil in these parts is rich in iron and aluminum.
According to the latest estimates, the island's population is more than 21.5 million people.
Interesting fact: The Royal Mount of Ambohimanga is a major historical landmark. Madagascar. This site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The memo is a unique place worship for the indigenous population, a significant cultural and religious heritage of the country.
The area of Madagascar is 587,040 km 2
Did you know that the average Madagascar woman gives birth more than 5 times in her lifetime! According to this indicator, the state ranks 20th in the world - an interesting fact.
There is not a single lion, giraffe, zebra or hippopotamus on the entire island.
Interesting fact: the highest point of Madagascar is the extinct volcano Marumukoutru. Its height is 2876 m above sea level. The name "Maromokotro" literally translates as "grove of fruit trees".
The capital and largest city of Madagascar is Antananarivo. The name literally translates as “city of a thousand warriors.” It is also translated as “a thousand villages” in different languages. The city's population fluctuates around 1.5 million people. It was founded back in 1625. Since then, the capital has experienced the most tragic events in the history of Madagascar.
The urban population hovers around 30% of the population.
For men, the average life expectancy is 61 years, and for women - 65 years!
The country is the world's largest producer and exporter of vanilla.
It is interesting to know that the largest predator in Madagascar is the fossa. This animal has a body like a cat and a nose like a dog, but they are not related and never have been. The Fossa is an endangered species whose closest relative is the mongoose! The predator is approximately 2 times larger than a domestic cat. He hunts birds and lemurs. Their long tail helps them balance in trees high above the ground - a fun fact about Madagascar.
More than 40% of the island's territory is covered with forests.
Madagascar is not very attractive for tourists who want to explore the sights. However, the capital Antananarivo has several interesting historical places, as well as many archaeological sites. Tourists are more attracted by tropical beaches, delicious food, National parks where you can see wild animals and fantastic landscapes, mountains, as well as friendly and welcoming local residents, professional staff and quality service!
Interesting fact about Madagascar: Locals love to bargain! This is especially pronounced in small shops, hotels and even restaurants.
All tourists need to know that tips are not served in any food establishment!

Don't forget to look, which contains amazing landscapes, beautiful sights and many other colorful photos!

M adagascar is one of largest islands on globe. In area it is second only to Greenland, New Guinea and Kalimantan.

The island is located east of the African mainland and is separated from it by the rather wide Mozambique Strait. Madagascar stretches from north to south for almost 1,600 km, and its total area is 597 thousand square meters. km. South part The islands are crossed by the Southern Tropic.

Madagascar was colonially dependent on France for a long time, but the struggle for independence of the Malagasy people was crowned with success.

The huge island of Madagascar is a kind of continent in miniature. Its shape geological structure, the unique flora and fauna, the amazing diversity of ethnic types of the population and their customs represent to some extent a mystery for scientists that has not been solved to this day.

Thanks to its isolated island status, Madagascar is a kind of unique reserve, where many species of animals and plants are preserved, found nowhere else on Earth. Of the 12 thousand plant species, 10 thousand are found only in Madagascar.

Some scientists believe that Madagascar is a fragment of the ancient continent of Gondwana, others - a piece of land that miraculously survived from the legendary continent of Lemuria, which sank in the depths of the Indian Ocean.

The climate of Madagascar is extremely diverse. In different parts of the island on the same day there can be warm sunny weather, raging heat, stuffiness, freezing temperatures, and tiresomely long rain.

The fauna in Madagascar is ancient and endemic, and therefore stands out as an independent Madagascar zoogeographic region. There are no large predators here, and small ones include civets (mongoose), insectivorous tenrecs, bats, and many reptiles and insects. There used to be many different species of prosimians, including lemurs, but now there are only a few of them left.

The capital of Madagascar - Antananarivo - is located among the brick-colored mountains, hills and green valleys of the Imerina plateau, at the northern spurs mountain range. The capital's quarters are located at an altitude of 1250 to 1470 m, and the city seems to float above the island.

Most of the island is occupied by the High Plateau with the most high peak- Mount Marumukutru, which has a height of 2876 m. The landscapes of the High Plateau enchant with the green waves of hills that stretch far beyond the horizon. They rise here and there extinct volcanoes with round craters filled with water. Vast flowering valleys alternate with flat-bottomed depressions, swampy and damp.

The island's population is divided into three types: first - short, similar to the Vietnamese and Japanese; the second - tall black men with curly hair; the third is mixed, with chocolate skin, curly hair, a short, slightly flattened nose. This diversity is explained by the fact that in ancient times Madagascar was the object of migration of many peoples: they migrated from Indonesia, from India, from African countries, from Arab countries and etc.

The name Madagascar gave the island in the 13th century. the famous Marco Polo, although the Malagasy continue to call their island Tani-be, which means “great”.

Archaeologists in many places in Madagascar find skeletons of the “elephant bird” - apiornis and its eggs with a capacity of up to 8 liters. This bird was described in the Arabian Nights and Marco Polo wrote in his Book on the Diversity of the World. Then at the end of the nineteenth century. The skeleton of a gigantic bird was discovered, the height of which reached 2 m 68 cm. This skeleton is in the museum natural history in Paris. The mighty wingless bird lived on the island until the 7th century. At one time, indigenous people used the shells of Epyornis eggs as vessels for storing drinking water.

Among the plants, the most famous is the “travelers tree”, or the ravenala palm, in addition to tamarinds, pandanuses, rosewood and ebony trees, and various types of rubber vines. On east coast growing coconut palm, in the western - fan. In the south, in the savannas, the baobab grows, and among the thorny bushes the candelabra tree is often found. Mangroves are common on the western low-lying coast.

There are two seasons on the island: in winter there are long rains, in summer - the monsoon period, when cyclones approach every now and then. A cyclone is usually preceded by calm, windless weather, when even the cicadas fall silent. By noon, the sky is covered with low clouds, a heavy wind bursts from the east into the thickening twilight darkness, and a waterfall falls from the sky, illuminated by flashes of lightning, cutting the sky from horizon to horizon. Deafening thunderclaps shake the island. The hurricane knocks down giant trees, tears off roofs from houses, and destroys thatched huts. Residents of mid-latitudes cannot even imagine such storms.

Photo sources:
commons.wikimedia.org

The amazing country of lemurs - Madagascar, amazes not only with its unique culture of local peoples, but also with its striking natural contrast. More than 90% of living creatures on the island live only here; they cannot be found on another continent.

1. Dancing with the Dead

Of course, the culture of the local population is also rich in its own special traditions that are foreign to us. Like, for example, dancing with deceased relatives. This ritual is called "tradition" Famadikhani"(turning over the bones of the dead). People here believe that the soul of their relatives will join the world of their ancestors only after complete decomposition and similar rituals. To perform this ceremony, the corpse is dressed in a silk shroud and danced with it - this procedure is repeated every 5 -7 years

2. Strange animals

The animals on the island are so exotic that you get a feeling of alienness. They live here giant cockroaches, which are capable of hissing like snakes. And rats can jump up to a meter in height.

Hedgehog in Madagascar cannot boast of its cute appearance - this yellow-orange “miracle” is a mixture of an opossum, a mole and a shrew.

Also on the island are spiders, which were discovered quite recently. Their golden web is very durable and suitable for weaving fabrics - one such 3-meter specimen is kept in the local museum.

3. A lake that cannot be crossed and a stone forest

On the island of Madagascar there is dead lake Tritriva, in which you will not find a single living creature. It is also believed that this body of water cannot be crossed. In fact, this “sinister” ban is based on the fact that the lake contains a lot of sulfur, the vapors of which are very dangerous to inhale.

Another of the wonders of the island is considered stone forest which is called " Tsingy du Bemaraha". This place has essentially not been explored at all, since visiting it requires special equipment, because almost the entire forest area is impassable for humans.

4. Twins born abandoned in the forest

The people of Madagascar, of course, like any other society, have their own traditions, taboos and superstitions. Some of which seem completely illogical and immoral. In the southern and eastern parts of the island there are tribes in which the birth of twins is considered witchcraft and misfortune. And in order not to cause trouble, the mother who gave birth to twins is forced to get rid of the offspring. Most often, babies are abandoned in the forest. If the mother does not agree to do this, she will simply be expelled from the village. Of course, on this moment, this practice is prohibited, but still many communities do not follow these prohibitions.

5. Natural exchange still works

If you ever decide to travel to Madagascar, you will find that along the road the local population displays pots, honey and other goods. So, you can simply exchange the item you like for alcohol, tobacco or something else.

6. Love French baguettes and no pork

The history of settlement and development of life on the island of Madagascar is very interesting. From as early as 200-500 BC. people came to the island Sunda Islands for growing and harvesting crops, and around the 7th-9th centuries, Arab traders appeared, thanks to whom the local population adopted culture, writing and religion. And since Islam prohibits the consumption of pork, many tribes still do not eat this type of meat.

7. Madagascar - the island of lemurs

The island's isolation means that large mammals do not live here. You will not see lions, zebras, or giraffes in Madagascar, as well as rhinoceroses, antelopes, monkeys, camels, etc. The only large animals found on the island are hippos, which eventually became extinct.

But lemurs and chameleons, snakes and iguanas live quite comfortably on this island.

8. Sorcerers decide everything

Any important issues in life are resolved by local sorcerers - umbiasi. If you are going to build a house, start a family, or make some significant decision, you need the sorcerer to perform the necessary ritual, and then act according to the instructions of the spirits.

9. Salary of 1 dollar

Yes, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world and, on average, 1 day of work here is valued at around one dollar. Income levels are so low that most suffer from hunger. And buying a simple newspaper will be considered an unaffordable luxury.

10. Madagascar separated from India, not Africa

More than 130 million years ago, the continent of Gondwana split into parts, as a result of which Madagascar, along with Hindustan, moved away from Africa. And later Madagascar separated from India, and remained a separate small world with its own unique flora and fauna, located almost on the equator.

An island located east of the African continent. Millions of years ago, Madagascar was part of the ancient continent of Gondwana. About one hundred and sixty million years ago it broke away and became separate island. This island was first discovered by the Portuguese explorer Diego Dias at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Following the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French traders arrived on the island. Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 and a French overseas territory in 1946. In 1960, the island finally gained complete freedom, declaring itself Democratic Republic Madagascar. Continue reading this article to find out some interesting and fun facts about Madagascar.

The official name of Madagascar is the Republic of Madagascar.

The official languages spoken on the island are Malagasy, French and English. The most widely spoken language is Malagasy. French used primarily in the field of business and management and in major cities, and English is the most commonly used language in the tourism industry.

The total area of the island is 587,041 sq. km., the population is about 18 million people.

The capital of Madagascar is the city of Antananarivo with a population of about 1,678,000 people.

The national currency of Madagascar is the ariary, replacing the Malagasy franc that existed here not so long ago.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is approximately equal to the American state of Texas and is second in area only to three islands - Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.

Madagascar's coastline extends for 4,828 km.

Madagascar is the world's largest producer and exporter of vanilla.

The bulk of the population of Madagascar adheres to ancient traditional religious beliefs, especially the cult of ancestors, which is associated with relationships between the living and the dead. In addition, Christians and Muslims live on the island.

Madagascar is called the “red island”, due to the color of the local soils.

Preserved in Madagascar historical monument Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, which is among the sites World Heritage UNESCO. It includes royal city, necropolis and ensemble of sacred places.

The central part of the island is occupied by highlands, and a strip of lowlands stretches along the coast. The most high point Madagascar - Mount Maromokotro, its height reaches 2876 meters.

The following are mined on the island: Natural resources such as graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, oil sands, semi-precious stones, fish and hydroelectric power.

The leading industries in Madagascar are meat processing, soap production, breweries and tanneries. The main agricultural products are coffee, vanilla, sugar cane, cloves and livestock products. Madagascar exports coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton fabrics, chromite and petroleum products.

Madagascar is a poor country. The bulk of the population depends on subsistence Agriculture, which is based on cattle breeding and rice cultivation. The country faces problems such as food shortages and underdeveloped education and health care. The government is trying to improve economic situation countries. One of the growing sectors of the economy is the tourism industry.

In Madagascar there are no animals characteristic of Africa - lions, giraffes, zebras and hippos. Fossil remains indicate that hippos once lived on this island, but scientists believe they became extinct about 1,000 years ago. These animals, called pygmy hippos, were much smaller than their African relatives.

Because Madagascar has been isolated from the rest of Africa for a long time, many new species of animals and plants have been discovered on its territory. About 80% of Madagascar's animal species are not found anywhere else on planet Earth. Many of them are endangered, as almost 90% of their natural habitat has now been destroyed. On the territory of Madagascar, there are about 60 species of lemurs and about 60 species of chameleons (almost half of all chameleons on the planet). Amusing little animals, tenrecs, which look like moles, shrews and hedgehogs, were probably the first mammals to appear in Madagascar. To protect themselves from predators, they curl into a ball and spread their spiky hair. Most large predator The Madagascar Fossa has a cat's body and a dog's nose, but is considered neither a cat nor a dog. This rare endangered animal is a close relative of the mongoose. It is twice the size of a typical domestic cat and hunts primarily birds and lemurs. The long tail helps the Fossa to maintain balance while climbing trees.

Madagascar's first inhabitants were of African and Asian descent, and over time, 18 mixed Afro-Asian ethnic groups emerged. Asian characteristics are most clearly manifested in people inhabiting the mountainous areas of the country, and the inhabitants of the coastal strip have predominantly African roots.

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// 16.07.2012

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1. Where did Madagascar come from..?

I think if you ask someone where the island of Madagascar came from, he will most likely answer that Madagascar separated from Africa, and he will be wrong. About 88 million years ago, Gondwanaland (a supercontinent) broke up and Madagascar separated from India.
p.s. Personally, I thought that Madagascar separated from Africa, because if you put Madagascar next to Mozambique, they almost fit together like a puzzle.

2. 5 on 1

On average, a woman in Madagascar gives birth to 5 children, according to this indicator Madagascar ranks 20th in the world. After Niger, this doesn't seem like such a big number.

3. Vanilla

Madagascar is the largest producer of vanilla in the world, and the country's economy is heavily dependent on the sale of vanilla. Not surprisingly, when Coca-Cola switched from natural vanilla to artificial vanilla, it had a major negative impact on Madagascar's economy.

4. Red Island

Madagascar is sometimes called the "Great Red Island" due to the fact that Madagascar's soil is rich in iron and aluminum.

5. Cult of ancestors

48% of Madagascar's population professes a religion called "ancestor cult", which states that there is a connection between the living and the dead, and after death a person goes to his ancestors. 45% of Madagascars profess Christianity, and 7% profess Islam. Also, Madagascars are afraid of being buried in a place other than the common family crypt.

6. Strange customs

Madagascar has some pretty strange, unusual traditions. For example, it is taboo to clean up dust in the house, or in some regions of Madagascar a son is not allowed to shave while his father is alive.

7. Rich past

In the years 300-550, Madagascar was inhabited by peoples from Oceania, in the 700s the Arabs arrived on the island, and in the year 1000 the Bantu peoples arrived in Madagascar, who sailed across the Mozambique Strait. In the 17th century, Madagascar became a base for pirates, as the island is located near trade routes from Europe to India. At the end of the 19th century, Madagascar became a French colony and gained independence in 1960.

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