Madagascar

ANNA MAGERKO

FRENCH REPORT

MADAGASCAR

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4. COLLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA

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FACTS

Madagascar

By: Anna Magerko

French 1

Mrs. Newsome

11/15/97

Madagascar

My report is on Madagascar. Madagascar is an island of the continent

of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world. It is in the

Indian Ocean. Madagascar is formed by one large island and several small

islands. The country’s total area is 226,658 square miles. It is about

the size of Texas. The central part of this large island is made of a

mountainous plateau. This separates the sides of the island. Madagascar

is partly volcanic in origin. The sides of the mountain rise about 2,876

feet to the top. Maromokotro is located near the north of the island. The

massive Ankaratra Mountains, near the capital city of Antananarivo, rise to

the height of 2,643 miles. The land slopes steeply to a small or narrow

lowland bordering the Indian Ocean in the east. There is a somewhat wider

coastal plain next to the Mozambique Channel in the west. The best soil in

the country is found along the coast, and in river valley’s of the central

plateau. The major rivers of Madagascar are Betsiboka, Mangoky and

Onilahy. All rivers start on the east side of the country, and flow west

towards the Mozambique Channel. The largest lake is near Toamasina. It is

called Alaotra.

The eastern part of Madagascar gets a lot of rain, which is brought

on shore by winds coming from the southeasterly direction. Annual

precipitation in some areas on the eastern coast is about 120 inches. The

central plateau doesn’t get as much rain. Areas in the south and southwest

get about 15 inches of rain. Most of the rain falls between November and

April. Coastal regions remain at a warm or hot temperature throughout the

year. The central plateau has a climate of warm summers and cool winters.

Tropical rain forests are also in Madagascar. The Savanna woodlands and

grasslands grow in the drier western regions. Desert vegetation occurs in

the extreme southwest. Animal life is uncommon in Madagascar. Lemur, is

an animal that is found almost always in Madagascar. All the animals that

are in Madagascar share characteristics with animals in Africa. The

differences indicate they evolved on Madagascar during a long period of

isolation.

They have minerals in Madagascar like the ones we have in United

States of America. They have coal and nickel. Other important mineral

resources include bauxite, chromium, graphite, iron ore, petroleum and

copper deposits, as well as small amounts of salt, garnets, and mica.

Madagascar has an ethnically diverse population of 13,005,989. The

number of people living there is growing at a comparatively high annual

rate of 3.2 percent. Some major ethnic groups are the Merina, who makes up

27 percent of the total population, and the Betsilo [12 percent] who are

related to the Merina. Both groups descended mostly from Malaya and

Indonesia about 2,000 years ago. The coastal areas are in habited mainly

by a group of mixed people. The ancestries among these people are Malayo-

Indonesian, black African, and Arab. The ethnic groups are Tsimihety [7

percent ], Sakalave [6 percent ], and Antaiska [5 percent ] . Only 22

percent of the total population is classified as urban. Antananarivo the

capital, is the largest city with a population of 703,000. Other important

cities are Toamasina [139,000], Fianarantsoa [111,000], Mahajanga

[111,000], Toliara [59,000], and Antsiranana [53,000].

The two official languages of Madagascar are the Merina dialect of

Malagasy, a language of Malayo-Indonesian origin, and the other is French.

Approximately 41 percent of the religion in Madagascar is Christian.

Fifty-two percent follows traditional beliefs and 7 percent is Muslim.

In 1976 the government passed legislation making six years of school

mandatory. By the middle of the 1980s the literacy rate was up 67 percent.

Virtually all children in the age group of six to eleven attended

elementary school, and 21 percent of those between the ages of twelve and

seventeen were enrolled in secondary school. The country’s main source of

higher education is at the University of Antananarivo. Most of higher

education centers are located in Antananarivo.

Madagascar’s radio and television broadcasting is provided by Radio-

Television Malgasy and Radio Madagasikara. Both stations are state owned.

Not everybody has a radio or television, so the government owns a

newspaper, Madagascar-Tribune. There is one other newspaper it is the

Imongo Vaovao. Both of the newspapers are made in Antananarivo.

In 1975, Madagascar’s government said, under the constitution, that

the country was ruled by a president who was elected for seven years.

They have a twenty-two member Supreme Revolutionary Council, which is

appointed by the president. They also have a Council of Ministers that is

lead by the Prime Minister. They have yet another council it is called

the People’s National Assembly. It is a 137 member assembly, elected by

the people. The members serve a five year term. Madagascar’s Judicial

system is based upon that of France. It includes a supreme court, located

in Antananarivo, a court of appeal, eleven courts of first instance, and

special economic and criminal tribunals. Madagascar’s military has 21,000

members. Madagascar is a member of the United Nations. It also is a part

of the Organization of African Unity, and several other organizations.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country

remains, like in colonial times, mostly agricultural. Eighty percent of

the country’s labor force is engaged in agricultural activities.

The main food crops in Madagascar are rice, cassava, beans, bananas,

corn, sweet potatoes, and taro. The production of goods has not kept up

with the growing population. Also, the importation of large amounts of

food, can’t keep up with it either. The cash crops are coffee, cloves,

sugarcane, sisal, tobacco, and eighty percent of the world’s supply of

vanilla. Livestock includes 10.6 million cattle, one point one million

goats, and one point four million pigs. Not a lot of commercial fishing is

done in Madagascar. Most of the fish caught is consumed locally. Efforts

to replenish the forest lands are underway. They are planning to do this

because in the middle 1980s 7.3 million cubic feet of forest land was cut.

Public transportation in Madagascar is not very high. The country

has only 549 miles of railroad track. They have some 11,560 miles of road.

Thirty percent of the roads are paved. Only about 36,000 cars are in use.

Toamasina is the main port handling 35 percent of the nation’s foreign

trade. Mahajanga, Toliara, and Antsiranana are some other port cities.

Madagascar only has four major airports. The international airport is

located in Antananarivo. Madagascar has its own airline, which is called

Air Madagascar.

Foreign trade in Madagascar generally has a negative balance. In the

late 1980's import and export values have increased. Coffee has made up 28

percent of all exports by value, followed by vanilla [twenty-six percent],

sugar [five percent], and cloves and clove oil [four percent]. Exports

include Chemicals [fifteen percent], machinery [fourteen percent], crude

petroleum [ten percent], motor vehicles and parts [nine percent], and metal

products [seven percent]. The major trading partners of Madagascar are

France, United States, Germany, and Japan.

Of course Madagascar has its own money. The money in Madagascar is

called Malagasy franc. One dollar in US currency is equal to 1846.87

Malagasy francs.

The history of Madagascar, first European to sight the island was

Diogo Dias. Dias was from Portugal. He found the island some time in the

1500s. During the 17th century, the Portuguese, the English, and the French

successively and unsuccessfully tried to colonize Madagascar. The French

got a temporary hold on the island in 1642. They were driven out in 1674.

They finally acquired trading places along the east coast in the following

century. From 1810 to 1828, during the reign of the Merina king, Radama I,

who didn’t like the French, allowed the English to come and live there.

British officers trained Merina troops, and British missionaries introduced

Christianity. After the death of Radama I, a strong reaction towards

European culture developed. Reforms were abolished, the missionaries were

persecuted, and trade relations with Great Britain were severed. Radama II

reigned from 1861 to 1863. He was a generally a progressive ruler. He got

along with the French. Radama II was killed because of this fact. There

was a period of time when they’re arguing with the French. After that

period of time, Queen Ranavalona III took over ruling Madagascar, in 1895.

In 1896, because of popular uprisings, Madagascar was proclaimed a colony

of France. Then military rule was instituted, and the queen was sent out

of the country and was not allowed to return. Now Madagascar has its own

government, and is progressing well. They have a system similar to the

United States. They have a congress, a constitution, and a president.

Their president is elected for a seven year term. Unlike our president’s

term that is only for four years. The official name for Madagascar is

Democratic Republic of Madagascar.

I chose to do my report on Madagascar because it is an island. I love

islands. I have always wanted to live on an island. Another reason I

choose Madagascar was because I had heard of Madagascar but never really

found out where it was until I did my report.