Madagascar island
The most unique flora and fauna in the world - Madagascar, called "Treasure Island" and "eighth continent". Owns 5% of species of animals and plants on earth, 80% of which exist only on this island. It is the fourth largest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.
In XIV century the island was formed state Imerina, 1500 - Portuguese Diogo Dias discovered the island; XIX century opened the Kingdom, in 1896 - the island was declared a colony of France, June 26, 1960 was proclaimed the independence of Madagascar Republic, 1972 coup was coming and democratization, 1993 - parliamentary elections.
Madagascar was named o-st and includes Islands, adjacent to it - was forecasts, forecasts, etc. Burana. The island state is situated in the heart of the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. Capital - Antananarivo. Total area of 587,000 sq.km. Population - about 18 million people. The island is 400 km from Africa, separated by the Mozambique Channel. Madagascar is immersed in the dense forests / places / and the soil is red, as if the ground bleeding. Woolly lemurs, huge baobabs and palm trees in the virgin tropical forest / virgin are less - only in the southern part of the island / long snow-white beaches with clear water and colorful fish in it. The favorable location and proximity to the equator have enabled the creation of this, as it is called the eighth continent - unmatched in the world.
Geographically the island can be divided into 5 regions: the east coast and volcanic massif Tsaratanana / highest point country - Marumukutru peak - 2876 m / central mountains to the west coast and southwest.East Coast: The coastal strip is straight and reaches Masuala Peninsula. Near shore swim shark teeth and is dangerous for swimming.
Central mountains - the height they range from 800 to 1800 m. The area has high seismic activity. The capital Antananarivo is also in this region - Reclining comfortably in the luxurious hills, it resembles a maze - from ancient palaces and modern buildings, fabulous nature park, stalls, from which you can buy bamboo flute grinning from ear to ear malgache / native /. To pet fluffy to befriend iguana, see Humped zebu cow or hug Baobab.
West Coast has eroded soil, due to which there are abundant lagoons and harbors. It is here that pirates created their "free country" in the seventeenth century. She was like a small liberal state based on mutual assistance and tolerance. The pirates who had befriended many , created descendants who now lead the locals dynasties. Gentlemen of Fortune, as they are called, leave here buried treasures, which still are deceptive challenge for treasure hunters. On the west coast have discovered oil fields and two / maybe a result of healthy digging for pirate treasure /South-West region consists of two parts: the plateau Maahavali and substance by attaching himself to his desert.
The climate is tropical in Madagascar, in the northwest . Average monthly temperatures in the plains are 25 degrees .. In the central mountains about 18 degrees .. Deep rivers - Sufi, Betsibuka, Manguki. Forests cover 15% of the territory of Madagascar, are distributed to savannas and secondary baobabs and palms.This protect forests already / not very well / logging of mad malgache who use firewood.
Madagascar is known among biologists by endemic / local / her species occupying diverse ecological niches. First lemurs - they are 100% endemic - 75 species, of which 17 are already extinct. Virtually all lemurs are listed in the Red Book, which does not interfere with malgache keep them as pets and even sell them as exotic dishes in restaurants. Ancient legend says that originally lived on the island only lemurs, then more industrious began to cultivate the land and become a people, but his lazy left on trees.Besides lemurs, the island meet amazing animals like the cat ferrets / cat - ferret / some butterfly species that live only here, 30 species of unique species of the genus of mammals, turtles and rare species of chameleons. About 300 years ago there lived huge flightless birds - like the bird Rukh. Now they are dead, but their eggs / than footballs / are still on the beaches and can be bought from malgache . Heavenly scent of jasmine fills the silence, and for enterprising malgache no problem to give you a good price and rare species of orchids. Eco protectors ever encountered great difficulties in its efforts to preserve endangered species. Local not fall under the Red Book. They cut down more forests for the sole purpose - firewood. Electricity is expensive and it is only in the cities.
Beautiful, diverse country with very hospitable people. Ethnic malgache are immigrants from Southeast Asia. A Malagasy is cognate to those who speak the natives of Borneo. A mixture of Swahili, Arabic, French and English. malgache have writing and literature from the fifteenth century, rich traditions, myths and legends. Many superstitious people.
Half of the population profess a strange religion - famadihana. She said everyone joins his ancestors, there is a hierarchy of divine souls, but she is determined only at the second funeral of kostite. / similar rites were Slavs - washing and sorting of bones / Famadihana translates as "dead roll" . Years ago malgache even to have buried the dead, but simply left them at the end of the village, while decompose napalno.Frantsuzite governing island then banned them from the hygienic point of view since they first bury them .. After staying a few years, draw remains, wrapped them in a new silk shroud / flap Mena / and they perform a ritual that necessarily must be cheerful, with lots of drinking and dancing. As such dances include a corpse in his arms ... It is true that he was already a bag of bones, but still looks pretty confusing - grace for us Europeans. In winter such processes / prepogrebvat which people of another cemetery, singing and dancing / are common. Malgashite believe that the dead take an active part in their lives, with ritual famadihana / prepogrebvaneto / conciliate their souls. If the dead were neglected in the first grave, died again - and then bad for the living and the dead ...
Musicians take care of your mood - it is important to bring a cheerful mood as the living and the dead. And besides, that several hundred people invited to the event and pay a certain charge.
Finally, the remains are placed in a new grave rites are read by the eldest relative, and if the family is rich, is called special person called "Tamada", and it more professional to give a solemn speech. Was obviously dead and it is better to be rich ... If these people will heal and the other world ... The remaining 40% of the population are Christians. And 10% Muslims.
National culture here is under the influence of Southeast Asia, and French - Arabic influence. So the streets can be seen and unusual performances - "hiragasi". This is eklekticheska mixture of music, dance and oratorical skill.
"Noah's Ark of evolution" is another definition of the island. Promised Land of the researchers. Is 50 times smaller than Africa, but there are more species of orchids, for example. The vast diversity of flora and fauna can be explained by the prolonged isolation of the island - it is separated from the continent back in the era of dinosaurs, and then by India.There are animals that have come to the island later and then those were able to swim Mozambique - Nile crocodile. There are more sophisticated ways - bats have come up with a hurricane - as some scientists believe. Finally, many animals are brought by people.
Another treasure of Madagascar - sapphire deposits. 1990. opened two - north and south, near the village Ilakaka. There is a legend that the first stone he found a farmer in his field. Since then, the village grew and became a big city. Indeed, the street is still one and it is of commercial shops and stone castles of the wealthy.
The great traveler Marco Polo, even before he stepped foot on European islands, Madagascar to declare a mythical island inhabited by wondrous animals - such as Rukh bird that can catch and bring the elephant in the sky. Three centuries later, Etienne de Flakur describes an animal the size of a small cow with a human face and body of the monkey. Like fantasy, but modern zoologists easily recognize them in giant birds' epiornis "and svrahlemura" megaladapisa "who really lived in those times the island.Now Madagascar is rich in miracles. He can really claim to be Treasure Island. Another question is how do we protect - from locals, the tourists - the people in general. The former want to be warm, fed, cut back trees and eating rare endangered species, the other - meet wealthy whim, buying rare orchids from protected species ...
Unlike natural economy is poor, developing. Major industries - agriculture, fishing and most recently - tourism. Madagascar is a major producer of coffee, vanilla and cocoa. Famous case: when Coke changed the natural vanilla with synthetic - it was a cruel blow to the economy. Recently, eco tourism has great success.
