Madagascar Flag,Madagascar Map, Madagascar Culture : SphereInfo.com

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest island in the world. It is the home of five percent of the world's plant and animal species, 80 percent of which are unique to Madagascar. Among its most notable examples of biodiversity are the lemur infraorder of primates, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab species. The adjective (language, ethnicity and citizenship) derived from Madagascar is Malagasy (pronounced "mal-gazh"). The primary language spoken in Madagascar is Malagasy.

Madagascar's lush coastal areas have that warm, wet tropical feel, with regular rain year round, while still managing a good amount of sunshine during the day. Temperatures are moderate, usually peaking above 30°C (86°F) in summer with only slight seasonal fluctuation. The average temperature drops as you head inland to the central plateau, as does the amount of rainfall, except from December to March, which sees a very stormy wet season.

Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed Asian and African origin, though those who are visibly Asian in appearance and culture are the minority, found in the highland regions. Recent research suggests that the island was uninhabited until Malay seafarers arrived between about 2,000 to 1,500 years ago. Recent DNA research shows that the Malagasy are approximately of half Malay and half East African stock, although some Arab, Indian and European influence is present along the coast. The Malagasy language shares some 90% of its basic vocabulary with the Maanyan language from the region of the Barito River in southern Borneo.

The Malagasy language 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 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.

Approximately half of the country's population practices traditional religions, which tend 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" celebrate 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 honor.

About 45% of the Malagasy are Christian, divided almost evenly between Catholics and Protestants. Many incorporate the cult of the dead with their 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.

April to October (the southern winter) is the best time to go; you will miss the sticky southern summer (November to March), also known as hurricane season. But because Madagascar experiences wide climatic variation, the central highlands can still be pleasant during summer while the east coast gets most of its rain between June and September.

Antananarivo (Tana)
Tana is like many other Asian or African capitals: crowded, polluted and noisy, but it does have some spectacular parts that are worth exploring. The hub of the lower town is Araben ny Fahaleovantena (commonly known as Avenue de l'Indépendance). At one end is the railway station and at the other is Hôtel Glacier. This district is known as Analakely and is packed with permanent street markets, and swarms of off-white umbrellas, perched precariously on old tyre rims, shade the vendors.

To the south-west of Analakely is the Kianja ny Fahaleovantena (Place de l'Indépendance) in the area of Haute-Ville (Upper Town). That's where you'll find the main post office, several banks, restaurants and nightclubs. Uphill from there, narrow streets lead past churches and other former royal buildings to the ruins of the Rova, the former Queen's palace. The Rova was burned to the ground in 1995, almost certainly in a politically motivated attack during local elections.

In north-eastern Tana, the Andravoahangy Market is where stonemasons, embroiderers, booksellers, carpenters and other professional craftspeople make and sell their wares. You will see them at work here, but don't let them distract you entirely with their skills and showmanship; thieves and pickpockets are often active in local markets.

The Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza is worth visiting unless you have already been up country to visit the national parks. It has several species of lemurs (caged and uncaged) including the aye-aye, and other rare species such as egrets, herons, crocodiles and Aldabran and Malagasy tortoises. On the zoo grounds is the Musée d'Académie Malgache with some excellent natural and cultural exhibits, including the skeletal remains and preserved eggs of the extinct elephant bird, giant lemurs, a short-tailed white hippo and a dugong. In another room there are exhibits of Malagasy funerary art and tribal village life.

There's a wide choice of places to stay in central Tana, but not much value for money. The cheaper hotels are dirty and noisy and usually double as brothels, so if you don't want to pay the extra for safety and cleanliness, you should head out into the countryside. Tana doesn't have a great range of restaurants despite nearly 50 years of French rule, although many offer special menus du jour and plats du jour that are relatively cheap. Suburban Tana, and the area around the Zoma Market, are good for street stalls selling everything from yoghurt dishes and ice cream to meat samosas and other unidentifiable objects fried in batter. You'll also find hotelys of varying quality around the taxi-brousse stations just outside of the town centre, and you can usually get a passable meal at one of them.

Nosy Be is Madagascar's premier resort island, and several other smaller islands including Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Mitsio and Nosy Iranja are nearby. Nosy Be is popular with people looking for a resort-style holiday, as it has plenty of restaurants and nightspots, although you can dive in some excellent spots off some of the smaller islands. While there are relatively few scantily clad package tourists to contend with, Nosy Be is still horrendously expensive. Andoany ('Hell-Ville' in French) is the capital, and is a bright and pleasant town (despite its name) of 30,000. You can visit the old prison, built in 1855, and other colonial buildings, and the town feels as if little has changed since the French first arrived.

A little known highlight of Nosy Be is Marodoka, a coastal ruin gradually being reclaimed by the bush. Local legend attributes its construction to a boatload of Indian sailors shipwrecked during the 17th or 18th century. The Réserve Naturelle Intégrale de Lokobe contains the last 740 hectares (1,829 acres) of Nosy Be's original vegetation, and is home to boa constrictors, black lemurs, chameleons and the Madagascar hog-nosed snake. Mont Passot is Nosy Be's highest peak at a modest 329m (1079ft) and is a great place to watch the sunset or just take in the view. It is surrounded by the beautiful blue sacred Crater Lakes of Anjavibe, Amparihimirahavavy, Bemapaza, Antsahamanavaka, Antsidihy, Amparihibe and Maintimaso.

Air Madagascar flies between Tana and Nosy Be daily, and TAM and Air Austral, based in Réunion, both fly from Réunion. Nosy Be is 700km (434mi) north of Tana.

Réserve Naturelle Intégrale des Tsingy de Bemaraha , was once practically inaccessible, but since it became a UNESCO World Heritage site it has begun featuring on more and more tour itineraries. The largest protected area in Madagascar (152,000 hectares, or 375,440 acres), Tsingy de Bemaraha is in the west of the country and includes a huge forest of eroded limestone pinnacles that harbours a stunning display of wildlife. The reserve is actually two parks, the Petit Tsingy and the Grand Tsingy. So far recorded are 53 species of bird, eight of reptile and six of lemur. Organised trips into the Tsingy may include a spectacular canoe trip down the Manambolo River. In the south of Petit Tsingy is the spectacular Manambolo Gorge where you can see waterfalls, lemurs and magnificent untouched forests.

Reaching the reserve under your own steam during the wet season is virtually impossible. During the dry season take one of the occasional taxis-brousses from Belo-sur-Tsiribihina heading towards Bekopaka, 80km (50mi) away. The taxi will continue until the road becomes impassable, at which stage you'll have to walk or take a zebu cart across a few rivers. Bekopaka is within easy reach of the reserve. There are occasional flights between Morondava and Belo during the tourist season in the middle of the year, and there are regular taxis-brousses. Bekopaka is 600km (372mi) due west of Tana.

Parc National de Montagne d'Ambre is northern Madagascar's most visited attraction, and it covers 18,200 hectares (44,954 acres) of a prominent volcanic massif. It was created in 1958 to preserve the area's biological treasures as well as the massif itself. Montagne d'Ambre's flora and fauna are virtually the same as that in the eastern rainforests, with a few endemic species not found farther south. The forest is lush, with over 3.5m (11.5ft) of rain a year. Of the seven lemur species in the park, the most notable are the crowned lemur and Sanford's brown lemur. The reptile and amphibian life is diverse, and includes frogs, geckoes, chameleons and snakes. Look especially for the bizarre blue-nosed chameleon and the stump-tailed chameleon. Birdwatchers won't be disappointed as 73 species of birds have been recorded in the park.

Montagne d'Ambre is ideal for walkers during the dry season, and it has about 20km (12.4mi) of well maintained paths. Worth seeing are the Petite Cascade, a beautiful small waterfall flowing into a gorgeous rock pool surrounded by fern covered cliffs, and the Petit Lac, a serene crater lake reached after a steep walk. Near the Petite Cascade is a path known as the Jardin Botanique, a forest track with a good mix of interesting and bizarre vegetation, including orchids, palms, lianas and bromeliads.

The park is about 800km (495mi) north of Tana, and the nearest large town is Antsiranana, served daily by Air Mad from Tana. You can hire a taxi-brousse from Antsiranana to the park, and the 40km (25mi) road is paved all the way.

MADAGASCAR National Animal : Ring Tailed Lemur
MADAGASCAR National Flower : Poinciana or Flamboyant Delonix regia
Madagascar National Name : Republic of Madagascar
National Capital : Antananarivo
Madagascar Area : Approx. 587,041n Sq Km (226,658 Sq. Mi), 0.39% of total
Madagascar Population : 20,146,000 in 2010 (0.29% in total)
Ethnicity in Madagascar : Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), C?tiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry: Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Madagascar Languages : French (official), Malagasy (official).
Religions in Madagascar: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Islam 7%
Currency : Malagasy Franc ,MGF
Time Zone :
UTC+03 (EAT)

Madagascar Culture, Map, Flag, Tourist Places