Madagascar
Madagascar is a large island nation in the Indian Ocean. It is off of the East coast of Africa and its capital is Antananarivo. Twenty-two million people live there. It is the world's fourth largest island.[9]
Republic of Madagascar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: | |
 Location of Madagascar (dark blue) – in Africa (light blue & dark grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Antananarivo 18°55′S 47°31′E / 18.917°S 47.517°E |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups (2004[2]) | |
| Demonym(s) | Malagasy[3] |
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic |
| Andry Rajoelina | |
| Christian Ntsay | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate | |
| National Assembly | |
| Independence | |
• from France | 26 June 1960 |
| 17 November 2010 | |
| Area | |
• Total | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). (46th) |
• Water | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). |
• Water (%) | 0.9% |
| Population | |
• 2016 estimate | 24,894,551[4] (52nd) |
• 1993 census | 12,238,914 |
• Density | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). (174th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $40.055 billion[5] |
• Per capita | $1,563[5] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $10.372 billion[5] |
• Per capita | $405[5] |
| Gini (2010) | 44.1[6] medium |
| HDI (2015) |  0.512[7]low · 158th |
| Currency | Malagasy ariary (MGA) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed[8]) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +261[8] |
| ISO 3166 code | MG |
| Internet TLD | .mg |
The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French.
Pre-human history
About two hundred million years ago, Madagascar was a part of a huge supercontinent called Pangaea. When this broke up, Madagascar was attached to what is now the Indian subcontinent. Madagascar broke away from India and moved closer to Africa.[10]
The long history of separation from other continents has allowed plants and animals on the island to evolve in relative isolation. Many of its animals came from Africa, because the island is closer to Africa than to India. Many of these endemic Malagasy animals have died out since the arrival of humans, particularly the megafauna.
Despite this, and massive deforestation, Madagascar is still home to an incredible array of wildlife. Most of the wildlife is unique.[11]
Environment
Madagascar is home to many species that were not known to Europeans about until around 1679 when Dutch explorers went there. They do not exist elsewhere in Africa. They only exist in Madagascar. In fact, most of the mammals living in Madagascar do not live anywhere else in the world.[12]
Many species in Madagascar are in danger because much of the forest has been cut down.[13] Forests are cut down so the land can grow crops such as coffee, which is an important export crop for Madagascar.
Economy
Agriculture is a big part of the economy in Madagascar, including the growing of coffee and vanilla. Madagascar sells more vanilla than any other country in the world.[14] Madagascar also makes money from tourism.[15]
Provinces
In 2004 Madagascar was divided into 22 regions. It used to be divided into 6 provinces.[16]
Human history
People have probably lived in Madagascar for at least 2000 years.[17]
France took over the city of Antananarivo in 1895, and added Madagascar as a colony two years later.[18] Madagascar became independent on 26 June, 1960.
Madagascar Media
Instrumental version of Ry Tanindrazanay malala ô! performed by the United States Navy Band.
Malagasy ancestry reflects a blend of Southeast Asian, Oceanian and Bantu (Southeast African) roots.
Matatana, represented in a picture of 1613, regarding a settlement of the beginning of the 16th century, in the Book of Humberto Leitão"
King Andrianampoinimerina (1787–1810)
A French poster about the Franco-Hova War
National monument in Moramanga commemorating the beginning of the Malagasy Uprising on 29 March 1947. Between 11,000 and 90,000 Malagasy died during the uprising which lasted nearly two years.
Philibert Tsiranana, the first president of Madagascar (1960–1972)
Land coverage (left) and topographical (right) maps of Madagascar
A Köppen climate classification map of Madagascar
Related pages
References
- ↑ Le Comité Consultatif Constitutionnel (1 October 2010). "Projet de Constitution de la Quatrième République de Madagascar" (PDF) (in français). Madagascar Tribune. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ↑ "MADAGASCAR: general data". Populstat.info. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ↑ "Demonyms – Names of Nationalities". Geography.about.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ↑ "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision". ESA.UN.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Madagascar". International Monetary Fund.
- ↑ "Gini Index". World Bank. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
- ↑ "2016 Human Development Report" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bradt (2011), p. 2.
- ↑ "CIA - The World Factbook -- Madagascar". Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ "Giant palm tree puzzles botanists". news.bbc.co.uk. 17 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7193161.stm. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ↑ Benstead, Jonathan P.; Goodman, Steven D. (2003). The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30306-3.
- ↑ "Dark history of Madagascar - Times Online". timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ "Deforestation In Madagascar". www1.american.edu. Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ Saholiarisoa, Sanja. "Reuters AlertNet - Cyclones, politics to hurt Madagascar vanilla". alertnet.org. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ "Economy of Madagascar". wildmadagascar.org. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ Deschamps (1965), pp. 268, 274.
- ↑ "Dark history of Madagascar - Times Online". timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ↑ "History of Madagascar - Lonely Planet Travel Information". lonelyplanet.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
Other websites
- Photos of Madagascar Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
Geographic data related to Madagascar at OpenStreetMap