NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Madagascar

Madagascar (Mad-a-gas-car), or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic), is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. Endemic species include the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families and six baobab species. Madagascar Madagascar (island) is an island in the Indian Ocean poooop, off the eastern coast of southern Africa, east of Mozambique. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Madagascar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Madagascar was adopted on October 14, 1958, two years before independence, as Madagascar prepared for a referendum on its status in the French Community. ... The coat of arms of Madagascar includes an outline map of the island at the center (together with two smaller islands nearby), and below it the head of a Zebu. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Image File history File links LocationMadagascar. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Madagascars population is predominantly of mixed Asian and African origin. ... Nickname: Location of Antananarivo (red dot) in Madagascar Country Founded 1625 Population (1,403,449 (2001 census)) - Total 1,403,449 Antananarivo (pronounced or ) is the capital of Madagascar. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Madagascar. ... Marc Ravalomanana (born December 12, 1949 in Imerinkasinina) is a Malagasy politician. ... List of the Heads of Government of Madagascar Notes Under house arrest from 27 May 2002. ... Charles Rabemananjara (born June 9, 1947[1]) is the current prime minister of Madagascar. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... The Malagasy ariary (currency code MGA) is the currency of Madagascar. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving East Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .mg is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Madagascar. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... An island nation is a country that is wholly confined to an island or islands. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Islands by area. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Endemic, in a broad sense, can mean belonging or native to, characteristic of, or prevalent in a particular geography, race, field, area, or environment; Native to an area or scope. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Superfamilies and Families Cheirogaleoidea Cheirogaleidae Lemuroidea Lemuridae Lepilemuridae Indriidae Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a group of primates known as prosimians. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Families 15, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ... Binomial name Bennett, 1833 The Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (pronounced FOO-sa[2][3] or Fah-suh) is a mammal endemic to Madagascar. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Species See text The baobab (Adansonia), or monkey bread tree are a genus of eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (the centre of diversity, with six species), and mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). ...

History

Main article: History of Madagascar

Madagascar, as part of East Gondwana, split from Africa approximately 160 million years ago; the island of Madagascar was created when it separated from India 80 to 100 million years ago. ^[3] Archaeologists estimate that humans arrived on Madagascar between 200 and 500 A.D., when seafarers from southeast Asia (probably from Borneo or the southern Celebes) arrived in outrigger sailing canoes.^[4] Bantu settlers probably crossed the Mozambique Channel to Madagascar at about the same time as or shortly afterwards. The written history of Madagascar began in the seventh century A.D., when Arabs established trading posts along the northwest coast. ... For other uses of Gondwana and Gondwanaland, see Gondwana (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see number 200. ... This article is about the year. ... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ... Map of Sulawesi pictures by Julianto Halim Sulawesi (or Celebes) is a large Indonesian island. ... In a canoe or bangca, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. ... This article is about the boat. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (light brown) vs. ... Location of Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean between the island of Madagascar and southeast Africa, namely Mozambique. ...

The written history of Madagascar begins in the 7th century, when Arabs established trading posts along the northwest coast and first transcribed the Malagasy language into Sorabe. The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Malagasy redirects here. ... Sorabe, or Sora-be, is an alphabet based on Arabic used to transcribe the Malagasy language and the Antemoro dialect in particular. ...

Antananarivo, Madagascar

During the Middle Ages, the chiefs of the different settlements began to extend their power through trade with Indian Ocean neighbors, notably East Africa, the Middle East and India. Large chiefdoms began to dominate considerable areas of the island. Among these were the Sakalava chiefdoms of the Menabe, centred in what is now the town of Morondava, and of Boina, centred in what is now the provincial capital of Mahajanga (Majunga). The influence of the Sakalava extended across what is now the provinces of Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 750 KB) Uploaded on May 18, 2005 by robin. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 750 KB) Uploaded on May 18, 2005 by robin. ... Nickname: Location of Antananarivo (red dot) in Madagascar Country Founded 1625 Population (1,403,449 (2001 census)) - Total 1,403,449 Antananarivo (pronounced or ) is the capital of Madagascar. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A chiefdom is any community led by an individual known as a chief. ... Sakalava Girl The Sakalava is a traditional name for a group of people of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. ... Menabe is a region in Western Madagascar. ... Morondava is a city located in the province of Toliara and the Region of Menabe, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. ... Boina can mean a number of things. ... Mahajanga is a city and seaport on the north-west coast of Madagascar. ... Mahajanga or Majunga is a city and seaport on the north-west coast of Madagascar. ... Sakalava Girl The Sakalava is a traditional name for a group of people of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. ... Antsiranana, named DiÃ©go-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... Mahajanga is a city and seaport on the north-west coast of Madagascar. ... Toliara (also known as Toliary; formerly TulÃ©ar) is a city in Madagascar. ...

European contact began in the year 1500, when Portuguese sea captain Diogo Dias sighted the island after his ship separated from a fleet going to India.^[5] The Portuguese continued trading with the islanders and named the island as "Sāo Lourenço" (St. Lawrence). In 1665, Francois Caron, the Director General of the newly formed French East India Company, sailed to Madagascar.^{[citation needed]} The Company failed to establish a colony on Madagascar but established ports on the nearby islands of Bourbon and Ile-de-France (today's Reunion and Mauritius). In the late 17th century, the French established trading posts along the east coast. Diogo Dias was a 15th century Portuguese explorer. ... A map of Japan in FranÃ§ois Carons A True Description of the Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam. FranÃ§ois Caron (1600-1673), was a French Huguenot refugee to the Netherlands who entered the Dutch East India Company, and becomes the first French person to set foot in... French and other European settlements in India. ... This article is about a type of political territory. ...

From about 1774 to 1824, Madagascar was a favourite haunt for pirates, including Americans, one of whom brought Malagasy rice to South Carolina. Many European sailors were shipwrecked on the coasts of the island, among them Robert Drury whose journal is one of the only written depictions of life in southern Madagascar during the 18th century.^[6] Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The following is a list of varieties of rice. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area Ranked 40th - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 260 miles (420 km) - % water 6 - Latitude 32Â° 2â€² N to 35Â° 13â€² N - Longitude 78Â° 32â€² W to 83... Robert Drury (born 1687; died between 1743 and 1750) was an English sailor on the Degrave who was shipwrecked at the age of 17 on the island of Madagascar. ...

Beginning in the 1790s, Merina rulers succeeded in establishing hegemony over most of the island, including the coast. In 1817, the Merina ruler and the British governor of Mauritius concluded a treaty abolishing the slave trade, which had been important in Madagascar's economy. In return, the island received British military and financial assistance. British influence remained strong for several decades, during which the Merina court was converted to Presbyterianism, Congregationalism and Anglicanism. The Merina is the largest ethnic group in Madagascar. ... Look up hegemony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The first two pages of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in (left to right) German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish and Russian A treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... This box: Anglicanism most commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide affiliation of Christian Churches, most of which have historical connections with the Church of England. ...

With the domination of the Indian Ocean by the Royal Navy and the end of the Arab slave trade, the western Sakalava lost their power to the emerging Merina state. The Betsimisaraka of the east coast also unified, but this union soon faltered. This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Islam and slavery. ... Sakalava Girl The Sakalava is a traditional name for a group of people of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. ... The Merina is the largest ethnic group in Madagascar. ...

French intervention and rule

Poster of a H. Galli book about the French war in Madagascar.

Landing of the 40th Bataillon de Chasseurs à pied in Majunga, between 5th and 24th May 1895.

An 1888 map of Madagascar

France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War seeking to restore property that had been confiscated from French citizens. (Hova is one of three Merina classes: andriana - aristocracy, hova - common people, andevo - slaves. The term hova was wrongly used by the French to mean Merina.) At the wars end, Madagascar ceded Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000 gold stripers francs to the heirs of Joseph-François Lambert. In 1890 the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French protectorate. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 415 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (950 Ã— 1373 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 415 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (950 Ã— 1373 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 541 pixelsFull resolution (1372 Ã— 928 pixel, file size: 286 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 541 pixelsFull resolution (1372 Ã— 928 pixel, file size: 286 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Mahajanga or Majunga is a city and seaport on the north-west coast of Madagascar. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (354x717, 107 KB) 1888 map of Madagascar File links The following pages link to this file: Madagascar ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (354x717, 107 KB) 1888 map of Madagascar File links The following pages link to this file: Madagascar ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... French poster about the Madagascar War The Franco-Hova War (also Franco-Malagasy War) consisted of French military interventions in Madagascar between 1883 and 1886 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of the Merina tribe, and resulted in Madagascar becoming a French colony. ... Antsiranana, named DiÃ©go-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ...

In 1895, a French flying column landed in Mahajanga (Majunga) and marched to the capital, Antananarivo, where the city's defenders were taken by surprise, as they were expecting an attack from the much closer east coast. Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of malaria and other diseases before the second Franco-Hova War ended. Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Mahajanga is a city and seaport on the north-west coast of Madagascar. ... Nickname: Location of Antananarivo (red dot) in Madagascar Country Founded 1625 Population (1,403,449 (2001 census)) - Total 1,403,449 Antananarivo (pronounced or ) is the capital of Madagascar. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ...

After the conclusion of hostilities, in 1896 the French Parliament voted to annex Madagascar. The 103-year-old Merina monarchy ended with the royal family being sent into exile in Algeria. In December 1904, the Russian Baltic Fleet docked at Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) for coal and provisions before sailing on to its doomed encounter with the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Tsushima. Before leaving port the Russian sailors were required to put ashore the animals they had acquired, including monkeys, boa constrictors and one crocodile. The Parlement of France is bicameral, and consists of the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) and the Senate (Sénat). ... Ceremonies during the annexation of Hawaii. ... Russian Baltic Fleet sleeve ensign The Baltic Fleet (Russian: Ð‘Ð°Ð»Ñ‚Ð¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ Ñ„Ð»Ð¾Ñ‚, in the Soviet period - The Double Red Banner Baltic Fleet - Ð”Ð²Ð°Ð¶Ð´Ñ‹ ÐšÑ€Ð°ÑÐ½Ð¾Ð·Ð½Ð°Ð¼Ñ‘Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ð¹ Ð‘Ð°Ð»Ñ‚Ð¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ Ñ„Ð»Ð¾Ñ‚) is located at the Baltic Sea and headquartered in Kaliningrad, the other major base is at Kronstadt, located in the Gulf of Finland. ... Antsiranana, named DiÃ©go-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... Combatants Empire of Japan Russian Empire Commanders Heihachiro Togo Zinovi Rozhdestvenski # Nikolai Nebogatov Strength 4 battleships 27 cruisers destroyers and auxiliary vessels 8 battleships 3 coastal battleships 8 cruisers Casualties 117 dead 583 injured 3 torpedo boats sunk 4,380 dead 5,917 captured 21 ships sunk 7 captured 6... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... Binomial name Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 The Red-tailed Boa (Boa constrictor), JibÃ³ia (Latin American name) or Macajuel (pronounced Mah-cah-well) (Trinidadian name)[1] is a species of boa, and is known distinctively for the red coloration at the end of its tail. ... For other uses, see Crocodile (disambiguation). ...

During World War II, Malagasy troops fought in France, Morocco, and Syria. Just before the fall of France, Germany planned to forcibly deport all of Europe's Jews to Madagascar in what was known as the Madagascar Plan. But action on the plan was never begun. After France fell to Germany, the Vichy government administered Madagascar. During the Battle of Madagascar, British troops occupied the strategic island in 1942 to preclude its seizure by the Japanese, after which the Free French took over. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Madagascar Plan was a policy of the Third Reich government of Nazi Germany to forcibly relocate the entire Jewish population of Europe to the French island colony of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. ... Vichy (Occitan: VichÃ¨i) is a French commune, situated in the dÃ©partement of Allier and the rÃ©gion of Auvergne. ... Combatants United Kingdom Rhodesia British East African colonies South Africa Australia (naval only) Vichy France Japan (naval only) Commanders Robert Sturges Armand LÃ©on Annet Strength 10,000-15,000 (land forces) 8,000 (land forces)[1] Casualties 107 killed in action; 280 wounded;[2] 620 casualties in total (including... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres in French) were French fighters who decided to go on fighting against Germany after the Fall of France and German occupation and to fight against Vichy France in World War II. General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French Cabinet in...

In 1947, with French prestige at low ebb, a nationalist uprising was suppressed after several months of bitter fighting with 90,000 people killed.^[7] The French later established reformed institutions in 1956 under the Loi Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully towards independence. The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on October 14, 1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. A period of provisional government ended with the adoption of a constitution in 1959 and full independence on June 26, 1960. The Madagascar revolt was an attempted revolution against the French by nationalists on the island of Madagascar between 1947 and 1948. ... The Loi Cadre (1956 Overseas Reform Act) was a French legal reform passed by the French National Assembly on June 23, 1956. ... This article is about the country; for the movie see Madagascar (movie) Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jan. ... An autonomous (subnational) entity is a subnational entity that has a certain amount of autonomy. ... The French Community was the political entity which replaced the French Union, which in turn was the descendant of the French Empire following the Second World War. ...

Provinces and regions

Main articles: Provinces of Madagascar and Regions of Madagascar

Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (faritany mizakatena), and 22 regions. The regions will be the highest subdivision level when the provinces are dissolved. Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (faritany mizakatena): Antananarivo Province Antsiranana Province Fianarantsoa Province Mahajanga Province Toamasina Province Toliara Province The provinces will be dissolved as a result of the new regional subdivision and the constitutional referendum of 2007, but no time frame has been set. ... Madagascar is divided into 22 regions (faritra): Population, area: Madagascar: Profil des marchÃ©s pour les Ã©valuations dâ€™urgence de la sÃ©curitÃ© alimentaire [1] Categories: | | ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Antananarivo (1)

Antsiranana (2)

Diana

Sava

Fianarantsoa (3)

Mahajanga (4)

Betsiboka

Boeny

Johnathan Pass Harold Forest Image File history File links MadagascarProvinces001. ... Antananarivo is a province of Madagascar with an area of 58,283 kmÂ². It has a population of 4,580,788 (July, 2001). ... Analamanga is a region in Madagascar. ... Bongolava is a region in Madagascar. ... Vakinankaratra is a region in Madagascar. ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Madagascar ... Diana is a region in Madagascar. ... Sava Region is located in Antsiranana Province, Madagascar. ... Fianarantsoa is a province of Madagascar with an area of 103,272 kmÂ². It has a population of 3,366,291 (July, 2001). ... Atsimo-Atsinanana (South East) is a region in Madagascar. ... Vatovavy-Fitovinany is a region in Madagascar. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Provinces of Madagascar ...

Melaky

Sofia

Toamasina (5)

Alaotra Mangoro

Analanjirofo

Atsinanana

Toliara (6)

The regions are further subdivided into 116 districts, 1,548 communes, and 16,969 fokontany. Categories: Regions of Bulgaria | Bulgaria geography stubs ... Toamasina is a province of Madagascar with an area of 71,911 km2. ... Toliara (also Toliary) is a province of Madagascar with an area of 161,405 kmÂ². It has a population of 2,229,550 (July, 2001). ... Androy is a region in Madagascar. ... Menabe is a region in Western Madagascar. ...

The major cities have a special status as "commune urbaine", at the same level as the districts.

History

The years after independence 1960, Madagascar had a French-inspired division system.

During the second republic (1975-1991), Madagascar was divided into four levels of government:

Faritany (province)
Fivondronana (or fivondronampokontany)
Firaisana (or firaisampokontany)
Fokonolona (or fokontany)

Today there are five different levels of division:

Faritany mizakatena (autonomous province) (6)
Faritra (region) (22)
Fivondronana (district) (116)
Kaominina (commune) (1,548)
Fokontany (16,969)

The constitution of 1992 ruled that the country should be decentralized into territorial entities. The name, number, and limits of territorial entities should be determined by law. The law passed by the national assembly in 1994 defined three such entity levels: region (faritra), department (departemanta) and commune (kaominina). The communes were created in 1996. The existing provinces were not mentioned in the law. Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Local government areas called districts are used, or have been used, in several countries. ... A commune is an administrative subdivision of various European and African countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Senegal, and the Scandinavian countries. ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A department is a part of a larger organization with a specific responsibility. ... A commune is an administrative subdivision of various European and African countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Senegal, and the Scandinavian countries. ...

With former president Didier Ratsiraka back in power, the constitution was amended in 1998, to include and specifically mention six autonomous provinces, divided into undefined regions and communes. The autonomous provinces, having the same names and territories as the already existing provinces, were created in 2000. Elections for the six provincial councils were held on 3 December 2000, resulting in an AREMA majority in all provinces except Antananarivo. Didier Ratsiraka (born November 4, 1936) was the President of Madagascar from 1975 until 1993 and from 1997 until 2002. ...

During the power struggle after the presidential elections in 2001, five of those provinces, whose governors supported Ratsiraka, declared themselves independent from the republic. The new president, Ravalomanana, replaced the provincial governments by special delegations, appointed by the president. This effectively means that the autonomous provinces have ceased to exist as such, and their dissolution is planned (see below).

In 2004, the regions were finally created by the national assembly in law number 2004-001. Meanwhile the 28 regions originally proposed had become 22. Although they are subdivisions of the provinces, they are representatives (and representing the people) of the republic, not the province. The regions will also take over the assets of the "ex-Fivondronampokontany". It is also mentioned that the communes are the only entities that are operational, and there will be an unspecified period of transition to the new system. The departments are not mentioned in the law, instead the designation "components" of the regions is used.

Also in 2004, the already existing Fokontany were redefined in the presidential decree 2004-299. They are subdivisions of the communes and headed by a chief designated by the mayor.

In 2005, a new entity called "districts" (distrika) was created by presidential decree 2005-012, replacing the department level of 1994. There are 116 districts. They have the same boundaries as the old "Sous-pr�fectures" or "ex-Fivondronampokontany". They are defined as subdivisions of the regions, and contains one or more "Arrondissements Administratifs". The chief of a district is designated by the chief of the region.

In the 2007 Constitution the autonomous provinces have been removed. Instead, the regions, the communes and the fokontany (but not the districts) are included.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Madagascar

Isalo National Park

At 587,041 km² (226,657.8 sq mi), Madagascar is the world's 46th-largest country and the fourth largest island. It is slightly larger than France and it also is one of 11 distinct physiographic provinces of the South African Platform physiographic division. Map of Madagascar Satellite image of Madagascar, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library Land coverage (left) and topographical (right) maps of Madagascar Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of southern Africa, east of Mozambique. ... Isalo National Park is National Park in the Toliara Province of Madagascar. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ...

Towards the east, a steep escarpment leads from the central highlands down into a ribbon of rain forest with a narrow coastal further east. The Canal des Pangalanes is a chain of natural and man-made lakes connected by canals that runs parallel to the east coast for some 460 km (about two-thirds of the island). The descent from the central highlands toward the west is more gradual, with remnants of deciduous forest and savanna-like plains (which in the south and southwest, are quite dry and host spiny desert and baobabs). On the west coast are many protected harbours, but silting up is a major problem caused by sediment from the high levels of erosion inland. A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... The Canal des Pangalanes is a series of man made and natural lakes linked by rivers running down the east coast of Madagascar for about 300 miles. ... For other uses, see Lake (disambiguation). ... This article is about grassland. ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Species See text The baobab (Adansonia), or monkey bread tree are a genus of eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (the centre of diversity, with six species), and mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). ... For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology). ...

Along the crest of this ridge lie the central highlands, a plateau region ranging in altitude from 2,450 to 4,400 ft (750 to 1350m) above sea level. The central highlands are characterised by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between barren hills. Here, the red laterite soil that covers much of the island has been exposed by erosion, showing clearly why the country is often referred to as the "Red Island". For other meanings, see Plateau (disambiguation). ... Cutting of laterite brickstones, Angadipuram, India Laterite is a surface formation in tropical areas which is enriched in iron and aluminium and develops by intensive and long lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock. ...

The Ankaratra Massif is in the central area south of the capital Antananarivo and hosts the highest mountain on the island, Maromokotro, with an altitude of 2,876 m (9,436 ft). The massif also contains the second-highest peak, Tsiafajavona, with an altitude of 2,643 m (8,668 ft). On very rare occasions, this region experiences snow in winter due to its high altitude. Further south is the Andringitra massif which has several peaks over 2400 m (about 8,000 ft) including the third and fourth highest peaks, Pic Boby (8,720 ft, 2,658 m) and Pic Bory (8,626 ft, 2,630 m). Other peaks in the massif include Pic Soaindra (8,594 ft, 2,620 m) and Pic Ivangomena (8,385 ft, 2,556 m). This massif also contains the Andringitra Reserve. Nickname: Location of Antananarivo (red dot) in Madagascar Country Founded 1625 Population (1,403,449 (2001 census)) - Total 1,403,449 Antananarivo (pronounced or ) is the capital of Madagascar. ... Maromokotro is the highest mountain on Madagascar. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ... Andringitra National Park is National Park in the Fianarantsoa Province of Madagascar. ...

There are two seasons: a hot, rainy season from November to April, and a cooler, dry season from May to October. South-eastern trade winds predominate, and the island occasionally experiences cyclones. Image:Atmospheric circulatlion. ... This article is about the meteorological phenomenon. ...

Ecology

Tsingy in Madagascar

Main article: Ecoregions of Madagascar

Main article: Malagasy fauna

Madagascar's long isolation from the neighboring continents has resulted in a unique mix of plants and animals, many found nowhere else in the world; some ecologists refer to Madagascar as the "eighth continent"^[8]. Of the 10,000 plants native to Madagascar, 90% are found nowhere else in the world.^[9] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (694x948, 779 KB) Tsingy in Madagascar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (694x948, 779 KB) Tsingy in Madagascar. ... Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located in Madagascar close to that nations Western coast. ... Madagascar, located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, is the fourth largest island in the world. ... A good example of malagasy convergent evolution is the fossa, a malagasy carnivore that has evolved in appearance and behaviour to be so like a large cat that it was originally classified in felidae, when it is in fact more closely related to the mongoose Madagascar has been an isolated...

Madagascar's varied fauna and flora are endangered by human activity, as a third of its native vegetation has disappeared since the 1970s, and only 18% remains intact.^[9]

The eastern, or windward side of the island is home to tropical rainforests, while the western and southern sides, which lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands, are home to tropical dry forests, thorn forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands. Madagascar's dry deciduous rain forest have been preserved generally better than the eastern rainforests or the high central plateau, presumably due to historically low population density and scarce water supplies. Windward is the side of a boat into which the wind is blowing. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the world Amazon river rain forest in Peru Amazon river rain forest in Brazil Tropical rainforests are rainforests generally found near the equator. ... For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series). ... Aerial photo of a portion of the Anjajavy Forest, inset by a swath of mangrove riparian forest. ... In isolation, Hawaiis Silverswords have adapted to xeric microclimates within volcanic craters, trapping and channeling dew and protecting leaves with reflective hairs. ... For other meanings, see Plateau (disambiguation). ...

Extensive deforestation has taken place in parts of the country. Slash-and-burn activity, locally called tavy, has occurred in the eastern and western dry forests as well as the on the central high plateau, reducing certain forest habitat and applying pressure to some endangered species. Slash-and-burn is a method sometimes used by shifting cultivators to create short-term yields from marginal soils. When practiced repeatedly without intervening fallow periods, the nutrient-poor soils may be exhausted or eroded to an unproductive state. The resulting increased surface runoff from burned lands has caused significant erosion and resulting high sedimentation to western rivers. This article is about the process of deforestation in the environment. ... This article is about the agricultural practice of slash and burn. ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ... For methods, see slash and burn Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. ... A nutrient is a substance used in an organisms metabolism which must be taken in from the environment. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Madagascar

Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy. Major exports are coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts and livestock products. Vanilla has historically been of particular importance, and when in 1985 Coca-cola switched to New Coke which involved less vanilla, Madagascar's economy took a marked downturn, but returned to previous levels after the return of Coke Classic.^[10] Economy - overview: Madagascar faces problems of chronic malnutrition, underfunded health and education facilities, a roughly 3% annual population growth rate, and severe loss of forest cover, accompanied by erosion. ... For the computer security term, see Phishing. ... A decidous beech forest in Slovenia. ... For other uses, see Coffee (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Vanilla (disambiguation). ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical... This article is about spices, the word clove is also used to describe a segment of a head of garlic and a clove hitch is a useful kind of knot. ... For other uses, see Cocoa (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ... Yuca redirects here. ... This article is on the plant. ... Bananas may refer to: Bananas (film), a 1971 Woody Allen film Bananas (album), a 2003 Deep Purple album Bananas (catamorphism), a generalization of folds Bananas, one of Donkey and Dragons hybrid Children. ... For other uses, see Peanut (disambiguation). ... The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... New Coke was the unofficial name of the sweeter formulation introduced in 1985 by The Coca-Cola Company to replace its flagship soft drink, Coca-Cola or Coke. ...

Structural reforms began in the late 1980s, initially under pressure from international financial institutions, notably the World Bank. An initial privatization program (1988-1993) and the development of an export processing zone (EPZ) regime in the early 1990s were key milestones in this effort. A period of significant stagnation from 1991-96 was followed by 5 years of solid economic growth and accelerating foreign investment, driven by a second wave of privatizations^{[citation needed]} and EPZ development. Although structural reforms advanced, governance remained weak and perceived corruption in Madagascar was extremely high. During the period of solid growth from 1997 to 2001, poverty levels remained stubbornly high, especially in rural areas. A six-month political crisis triggered by a dispute over the outcome of the presidential elections held in December 2001 virtually halted economic activity in much of the country in the first half of 2002. Real GDP dropped 12.7% for the year 2002, inflows of foreign investment dropped sharply, and the crisis tarnished Madagascar's budding reputation as an AGOA standout and a promising place to invest. After the crisis, the economy rebounded with GDP growth of over 10% in 2003. Currency depreciation and rising inflation in 2004 have hampered economic performance, but growth for the year reached 5.3%, with inflation reaching around 25% at the end of the year. In 2005 inflation was brought under control by tight monetary policy of raising the Taux Directeur (central bank rate) to 16% and tightening reserve requirements for banks. Thus growth was expected to reach around 6.5% in 2005. The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... An Export processing zone or EPZ eases tax and labor restrictions and their primary purpose is to generate export revenues in poor developing countries. ... A boy from Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... Investment is a term with several closely-related meanings in finance and economics. ... In May 2000, the U.S. Congress approved legislation known as the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or . ... Currency depreciation is the loss of value of a countrys currency with respect to one or more foreign reference currencies, typically in a floating exchange rate system. ...

Following the 2002 political crisis, the government attempted to set a new course and build confidence, in coordination with international financial institutions and donors. Madagascar developed a recovery plan in collaboration with the private sector and donors and presented it at a "Friends of Madagascar" conference organized by the World Bank in Paris in July 2002. Donor countries demonstrated their confidence in the new government by pledging $1 billion in assistance over five years. The Malagasy Government identified road infrastructure as its principle priority and underlined its commitment to public-private partnership by establishing a joint public-private sector steering committee. The Global Financial System refers to those financial institutions and regulations that act on the international level, as opposed to those that act on a national or regional level. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

In 2000, Madagascar embarked on the preparation of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The boards of the IMF and World Bank agreed in December 2000 that the country had reached the decision point for debt relief under the HIPC Initiative and defined a set of conditions for Madagascar to reach the completion point. In October 2004, the boards of the IMF and the World Bank determined that Madagascar had reached the completion point under the enhanced HIPC Initiative. Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are in many ways the replacement for Structural Adjustment Programs, and are documents required by the IMF and World Bank before a country can be considered for debt relief within the HIPC programme. ... The 38 states recognized as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ...

The Madagascar-U.S. Business Council was formed in Madagascar in 2002. The U.S.-Madagascar Business Council was formed in the United States in May 2003, and the two organisations continue to explore ways to work for the benefit of both groups.

The government of President Ravalomanana is aggressively seeking foreign investment and is tackling many of the obstacles to such investment, including combating corruption, reforming land-ownership laws, encouraging study of American and Europea

Contents

History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

French intervention and rule

Provinces and regions

History

Geography

Ecology

Economy

History