Madagascar

Location map of Madagascar

Flag of Madagascar

Madagascar in brief

The island of Madagascar is best known for its unique fauna and flora, but there is more to learn about it.

A male Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) in Lokobe Strict Reserve of Nosy Be island. Madagascar is home to almost half of the world's chameleon species.
Image: Charles J. Sharp

• The oldest island on the planet
  Madagascar is possibly the oldest island on the planet since the break up of Gondwana continent.
• A unique fauna and flora
  The island is best known for its unique fauna and flora; it is populated by lemurs, fossas, Malagasy civets, chameleons, frogs, and weird aye-ayes.
• Humpback whales
  In its coastal waters, the island is a breeding and calving ground for humpback whales.
• The elephant bird
  Madagascar was home to the elephant bird, an extinct flightless creature; the Vorombe titan was the largest known bird in the world, with height up to 3m and weight up to 700kg.
• Baobabs and traveler's palms
  Probably the most famous plants of Madagascar are the iconic baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) and the traveler's palm (Ravenala madagascariensis), a national landmark. The Allée des Baobabs, the dirt road lined with baobab trees, is probably the most photographed attraction in the country.
• Rice
  The chief food crop of Madagascar is rice.
• Vanilla
  About half of the world's production of vanilla comes from Madagascar.
• The Settlement of Madagascar
  The settlement of Madagascar is one of the most unusual and least understood episodes in human prehistory. Madagascar was settled about 1200 years ago by a very small group of women (about 30), most of whom were of Maritime Southeast Asian descent (about 93%). ^{[The Royal Society]}
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  Even though 85% of Malagasy are Christians by name, ancestor worship (famadihana), folk beliefs and taboos (fady) are deeply rooted in society.
  Image: Steve Evans
  
  
• Queen Ranavalona I
  Madagascar's Queen Ranavalona I (reigned 1828-61) was dubbed the "Mad Queen" by British colonial powers for taking drastic measures to expand her empire while protecting Malagasy sovereignty from the aggressive advance of European influence, including that of British Protestant missionaries.
• Face painting
  Masonjoany is the application of sandalwood paste to the face, full face or in floral patterns, or both.
• Lamba
  Lambas are the traditional, woven garments of rectangular length (like a scarf or a sash) worn by both men and women.
• Zanahary
  In traditional beliefs, Zanahary is the creator god and supreme deity of the Malagasy pantheon. The god includes female and male aspects and manifests in both heavenly and earthly forms.
• Fady
  The daily life of the Malagasy people is dominated by thousands of cultural taboos (fady). Fady are (mainly superstitious) taboos, rules or behaviors that apply to a wide range of situations, people, places, or colors. To break a taboo, ritual negotiations with the ancestors would be necessary.
• Famadihana
  Famadihana is a family celebration of a special kind. An important part of the traditional celebration is that the remains of the ancestors are taken from their burial site, wrapped in fresh cloths and participate in the festivities.
• Aloalo
  The aloalo is the Malagasy version of a tombstone, a pole sculpture placed on the graves of important people in the southwestern region of Madagascar.
• Salegy
  Salegy is the popular contemporary music from Madagascar.
• Moraingy
  Moraingy is Madagascar's combat sport, also known as Malagasy bare-knuckle boxing.
• Libertalia and Antsiranana Bay
  The Antsiranana Bay was used for shelter by a number of pirates and privateers during the Golden Age of Piracy. It was possibly the location of the legendary pirate colony Libertalia.
• Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
  The Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy, "the place where one cannot walk barefoot," is a bizarre limestone badland, a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ^[UNESCO]
• Nosy Be
  Nosy Be is an island off the coast of northwestern Madagascar and the island nation's most popular beach destination.