[12] The majority of roads in Madagascar are unpaved, with many becoming impassable in the rainy season.
Rugby union is considered the national sport of Madagascar. [20] Recent DNA research revealed that the genetic makeup of the average Malagasy person constitutes an approximately equal blend of Southeast Asian and East African genes,[177][178] although the genetics of some communities show a predominance of Southeast Asian or East African origins or some Arab, Indian, or European ancestry. The most emblematic instrument of Madagascar, the valiha, is a bamboo tube zither carried to Madagascar by early settlers from southern Borneo, and is very similar in form to those found in Indonesia and the Philippines today. [86] Many European sailors were shipwrecked on the coasts of the island, among them Robert Drury, whose journal is one of the few written depictions of life in southern Madagascar during the 18th century. [26], European contact began in 1500, when the Portuguese sea captain Diogo Dias sighted the island, while participating in the 2nd Armada of the Portuguese India Armadas. It is widely believed that by showing respect for ancestors in these ways, they may intervene on behalf of the living.
[95] Queen Rasoherina accepted, first marrying Rainivoninahitriniony, then later deposing him and marrying his brother, Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony (1864–95), who would go on to marry Queen Ranavalona II (1868–83) and Queen Ranavalona III (1883–97) in succession.
[206] In addition to sports, a wide variety of games are played. Episodes.
[98], Primarily on the basis that the Lambert Charter had not been respected, France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War.
Of these, 23 species were classified as critically endangered. The constitution establishes independent executive, legislative and judicial branches and mandates a popularly elected president limited to three five-year terms.
Cattle rustling, originally a rite of passage for young men in the plains areas of Madagascar where the largest herds of cattle are kept, has become a dangerous and sometimes deadly criminal enterprise as herdsmen in the southwest attempt to defend their cattle with traditional spears against increasingly armed professional rustlers.[80]. [25], The combination of southeastern trade winds and northwestern monsoons produces a hot rainy season (November–April) with frequently destructive cyclones, and a relatively cooler dry season (May–October). [26] During Ravalomanana's first term, thousands of new primary schools and additional classrooms were constructed, older buildings were renovated, and tens of thousands of new primary teachers were recruited and trained.
Madagascar is a francophone country, and French is mostly spoken as a second language among the educated population and used for international communication. The many varieties of laoka may be vegetarian or include animal proteins, and typically feature a sauce flavored with such ingredients as ginger, onion, garlic, tomato, vanilla, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, green peppercorns or, less commonly, other spices or herbs.
[167] Mobile telephone and internet access are widespread in urban areas but remain limited in rural parts of the island. Throughout almost the entire island, the contemporary cuisine of Madagascar typically consists of a base of rice (vary) served with an accompaniment (laoka). In addition to the tradition of silk weaving and lamba production, the weaving of raffia and other local plant materials has been used to create a wide array of practical items such as floor mats, baskets, purses and hats. Army organization was improved and British consultants were employed to train and professionalize soldiers. [20] In the 1930s, Nazi political thinkers developed the Madagascar Plan that had identified the island as a potential site for the deportation of Europe's Jews. The Malagasy language originated from Southeast Barito language, and Ma'anyan language is its closest relative, with numerous Malay and Javanese loanwords. At 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi) Madagascar is the world's second-largest island country. [58] More recent contributors to the loss of forest cover include the growth in cattle herd size since their introduction around 1,000 years ago, a continued reliance on charcoal as a fuel for cooking, and the increased prominence of coffee as a cash crop over the past century. A wide variety of oral and written literature has developed in Madagascar. King Andrianjaka founded Antananarivo as the capital of his Imerina Kingdom around 1610 or 1625 upon the site of a captured Vazimba capital on the hilltop of Analamanga.
[170] Schistosomiasis, malaria, and sexually transmitted diseases are common in Madagascar, although infection rates of AIDS remain low relative to many countries in mainland Africa, at 0.2 percent of the adult population.
The numerous dialects of Malagasy, which are generally mutually intelligible,[180] can be clustered under one of two subgroups: eastern Malagasy, spoken along the eastern forests and highlands including the Merina dialect of Antananarivo, and western Malagasy, spoken across the western coastal plains. Madagascar has produced a world champion in pétanque, a French game similar to lawn bowling, which is widely played in urban areas and throughout the Highlands.
[20] It is located in the highlands region, near the geographic center of the island.
Emigration in the late 20th century has reduced these minority populations, occasionally in abrupt waves, such as the exodus of Comorans in 1976, following anti-Comoran riots in Mahajanga.
[186], Today, many Christians integrate their religious beliefs with traditional ones related to honoring the ancestors.
[188], Each of the many ethnic subgroups in Madagascar adhere to their own set of beliefs, practices and ways of life that have historically contributed to their unique identities.
[24], Tropical cyclones cause damage to infrastructure and local economies as well as loss of life. [19], On St. Laurence's Day in 1500, Portuguese explorer Diogo Dias landed on the island and named it São Lourenço.
Under Ravalomanana, these investments produced substantial economic growth, but the benefits were not evenly spread throughout the population, producing tensions over the increasing cost of living and declining living standards among the poor and some segments of the middle class.
The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, Christianity, or an amalgamation of both. Membership in 2011 was estimated at 14,905.[210].
As of 2017[update], the economy has been weakened by the 2009–2013 political crisis, and quality of life remains low for the majority of the Malagasy population. As of 2011[update], areas protected by the state included five Strict Nature Reserves (Réserves Naturelles Intégrales), 21 Wildlife Reserves (Réserves Spéciales) and 21 National Parks (Parcs Nationaux).
For the film franchise, see, The grassy plains that dominate the western landscape are dotted with stony massifs (left), patches of deciduous forest, and, Hillstrom & Collier Hillstrom (2003), p. 50. Due to their lower population densities, Madagascar's dry deciduous forests have been better preserved than the eastern rain forests or the original woodlands of the central plateau.
Because of its advanced sports facilities, Antananarivo gained the hosting rights for several of Africa's top international basketball events, including the 2011 FIBA Africa Championship,[211] the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship for Women,[212] the 2014 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship,[213] the 2013 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship,[214] and the 2015 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship for Women. [25] The number of Europeans has declined since independence, reduced from 68,430 in 1958[114] to 17,000 three decades later.
[102] France annexed Madagascar in 1896 and declared the island a colony the following year, dissolving the Merina monarchy and sending the royal family into exile on Réunion Island and to Algeria.
[76][77][78], Upon arrival, early settlers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture to clear the coastal rainforests for cultivation. The country lies mostly between latitudes 12°S and 26°S, and longitudes 43°E and 51°E. [128] Religious, ethnic and sexual minorities are protected under the law. [190], The diverse origins of Malagasy culture are evident in its tangible expressions.
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