Madagascar Information

INFORMATION

•  Full name: Republic of Madagascar

•  Capital City: Antananarivo

•  Language: French, Malagasy

•  Currency: Ariary

•  Religion: Native beliefs, Christian, Muslim

•  National Anthem: “ Tanindraza nay malala ô” that literally means “Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland”.

•  Newspaper: L'Express de Madagascar, Madagascar Tribune and Midi Madigasikara. Except these some locals are also available such as La Gazette de la Grande Isle, Le Quotidien, Les Nouvelles and so on.

•  Places to Visit: Antananarivo, Nosy Be, Ifaty, Parc National de L'Isalo, Parc National de Ranomafana and many more places to visit.

•  Transport: Airways: Air France, Air Madagascar, Inter Air and some other frequent flights are there. Air France flies from Paris, while Air Madagascar is available from Johannesburg and Nairobi. On the other hand InterAir is available from Johannesburg. Waterways: frequent Cargo boats are available between various important places.

•  Shopping: Things that you can shop in Madagascar are local handicrafts; antaimoro paper, which is a handcrafted paper that involves, dried flowers; some beautiful local embroidery; souvenirs. Besides these some precious stones are also found.

INTRODUCTION : Madagascar was a part of French colony during the period of 1896 to 1960. After that the country became independent in the year of 1960. The Malagasy language that is spoken mostly in the country originally belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian group. Since Madagascar was under the influence of French colony for a long time, French is also spoken widely.

LOCATION OF MADAGASCAR : Madagascar is located in the eastern region of the African continent. This is a country in itself, which is also an island engulfed within every side by the Indian Ocean. The country is situated very close to another country called Mozambique. Madagascar has been declared as the world's fourth largest island.

PHYSICAL MAP OF MADAGASCAR : Madagascar is not a mountainous country. Since it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the country is full of lowlands especially in the eastern regions. Some up lands are also there in the middle of the country. Visit mountains of the volcanic origin in the northern Tsaratanana Massif and get thrilled. Some seaports and open lands can also be found in the western seashores. On the other hand you will find some table lands and barren regions. The highest altitude of the country is the Maromokotro peak that rises up to 2,876 meter above the sea. On the other hand Indian Ocean is the lowest point of Madagascar.

CLIMATE OF MADAGASCAR : In Madagascar the weather remains pleasant through the year. The coastal regions are comparatively warm than the other places. Mainly two seasons are perceived in the country. These are summer and winter. Summer months are hot and wet. Rainfalls are frequent in this period. The summer season rules between the months of November and April. On the other hand the winter months are cold and dry. Between the months of May and October you will find this winter season. Beware of the cyclones that often prevail over the land of Madagascar. The months between December and March are characterized by heavy rainfalls.

FLORA AND FAUNA OF MADAGASCAR :

Flora : The vegetation of Madagascar is highly influenced by the coastal climate. You will get to see various species of trees and plants in different regions of the country. Some of the trees that can be found in huge quantity are periwinkles, l emurs, baobabs, geckoes, sifakas, aloes, octopus trees and various others. However in Madagascar trees are being removed in large number for industrialization and farming. That may cause a great harm to the flora world of the country. Palms, Didiereaceae plants, various species of orchids, are also found in large number. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a very attractive place in Madagascar. You must visit this site to enjoy the collection of different species of planes.

Fauna : Similarly the animal kingdom of Madagascar is also very rich with various species. Some famous African taxonomic categories of elephant, giraffe, zebra, rhinoceros, antelopes etc are found in the country. Some poisonous reptiles such as snakes others exists in a large number in the country.

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