In Madagascar There are no penguins, except maybe at the zoo. However, on this island in Africa we can find many animals that are endemic to it, such as indri-indri wave pelican spider . Join us to know 50 Curiosities of Madagascar . Landscapes and unique nature.
Madagascar is an island country that is located off the southeast coast of Africa with a population close to 26.5 million inhabitants, most of which subsist on less than 2 euros a day. The natives of Madagascar They are called "Malagasy". Its capital is Antananarivo, where more than 2.5 million people live.
50 Curiosities of Madagascar
1. Madagascar It is known as "the Eighth Continent of the World" because of the singularity of the island's biodiversity.
2. Madagascar is an island of 587,041 km2. It is the fourth largest in the world behind Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.
3. Another of the curiosities of Madagascar is that 88 million years ago it was linked to India. It is separated when the rupture of the supercontinent Gondwana.
4. It is believed that the first human settlers of Madagascar arrived in canoes from Borneo around 350 a.C.
5. The previous fact shows that Madagascar was one of the last land masses to be colonized by humans.
6. Madagascar became independent from France in 1960 and became a Republic.
7. Due to its isolation, more than 80% of the plants and animal species found in Madagascar are not found anywhere else on Earth.
8. In Madagascar there is a kind of endemic Baobab. It is the "Adansonia grandidieri". You can see them in The avenue of the Baobabs and they have become a distinctive element not only of the country, but of all of Africa.
9. Although vanilla originated in Mexico, Madagascar is the second vanilla producer in the world after Indonesia.
10. On the island you can see a "stone Forest" . It is Tsingy forest and has large stone blocks lined with trees. It is in the integral Natural Reserve of Tsingy de Bemaraha that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
11. In this natural reserve you can see besides these geological formations, mangrove forests and animals such as lemurs, chameleons or birds.
12. Despite all the natural wealth that its immense biodiversity represents, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in Africa. 90% of the population survives on less than 2 euros a day.
13. This poverty is reflected in the country's road network. Although the island is almost twice the size of the United Kingdom, it only has 1% of the roads that cover the latter.
14. Another of the curiosities of Madagascar is that his name is due to Marco Polo, who was the first European to arrive on its shores and explain it. When the Portuguese arrived in the sixteenth century they gave it the name of the island-kingdom of Africa that the 13th century traveler had quoted in his book.
15. Another name by which the Malagasy country is known is "Red Island". That is due to the predominant color in your soil.
16. In Madagascar territory you can find up to 150 species of palm trees.
17. Also grows the so-called traveler's tree or traveler's palm that is not really a palm tree. His name is given because according to the legend thirsty travelers found in various parts of that plant water tanks with which to quench their thirst.
18. The traveler's tree or Ravenala madagascariensis is also one of the symbols of the country that we find in its coat of arms and in the airplanes of the national airline.
19. The population of Madagascar is very young. Approximately 60% of its inhabitants are under 25 years old.
20. In Malagasy culture, arranged marriages in which the father promises his daughter in exchange for money or livestock are still customary.
21. If you like precious stones, you should know that some of the highest quality sapphires were found on this island. Madagascar produces about half of the world's high-end sapphires.
22. Unfortunately, the sapphire mines of Madagascar are not only deforesting the country, but in many cases there are fatalities due to precarious working conditions.
23. In 2014 WHO reported an outbreak of bubonic plague in Madagascar. Nearly 40 people died and about 100 more fell ill.
24. The capital of Madagascar It is Antananarivo. Its name means "the city of the thousand" and takes the name of the garrison composed of a thousand soldiers who defended it.
25. Until 1869, the buildings of the capital of Madagascar They were made of wood or rushes. From that date the stone and brick were introduced in the construction and Antananarivo was completely rebuilt.
26. Near Antananarivo there is the Royal hill of Ambohimanga . It is an archaeological site of great interest that was declared a World Heritage Site. You can see the ruins of a city, palaces, tombs and sacred places.
27. The legends about this country say that on its north coast there was once a pirate colony called "Libertalia". It is not known if it really existed, but that numerous pirate groups settled on the coasts of Madagascar.
28. On the island Santa Maria, the local "Nosy Boraha" which has large inlets and bays had its lair several famous buccaneers of the South Seas between 1620 and 1680.
29. Proof of this activity is one of the curiosities of Madagascar : Santa María Island has an authentic "pirate cemetery".
30. The language of Madagascar It's Malagasy. It is a language of Malay-Polynesian origin and is spoken throughout the island divided into numerous intelligible dialects among themselves.
31. French, due to the years of domination of France, has remained as the second language of Madagascar and is used by elites, official communications and international relations.
32. The food of Madagascar is the result of a mixture of cultures. Their base is rice, which they call "varia", and it is usually seasoned with an accompaniment called "laoka". This can be both vegetable and animal and is accompanied by a very flavored sauce.
33. Donuts, both sweet and savory, are also typical of the island and can be easily purchased at street stalls.
34. One of the curiosities of Madagascar It is his most popular drink: the "ranovola". Ranovola means "golden water". It is a refreshing drink that is usually taken at the end of a meal. As the water must be boiled before being drunk, take advantage of the pot where they have cooked the white rice, which is the basic food of the country. They toast the rice that has been stuck in the container, add more water and let it boil. The result is an amber liquid, pleasant taste and absolutely drinkable.
35. Another of the curiosities of Madagascar Maybe you did not know is that one of the best chocolates in the world is produced on the island.
Some customs of Madagascar They are really curious. Among them are:
36. The ceremony called Famadihana, of which we speak to you in Supercurios in the post: Famadihana, the funerary tradition of dancing with the dead . It is one of the customs of Madagascar more surprising: remove the dead from their graves, dance with them and return them to their place with their renovated shrouds.
37. Among the curiosities of Madagascar There is the traditional clothing that both men and women use and which is called "lamba". There are lambas for all occasions: for work, for wedding, for burials ... and although they also wear western clothes, Malagasy people like to wear their lambas on numerous occasions.
38. The "Hainteny" is another of the customs of Madagascar and it is a traditional oral form of Malagasy literature and poetry. Among other particularities implies the continued use of the metaphor.
39. Rugby is the most popular sport on the island, although they are also interested in football.
40. In some coastal areas of the west, a traditional type of fighting is practiced which is known as moraingy or sakalava fighting. It is practiced at the end of the harvest and usually confronts young people from neighboring villages in a festive way.
41. Wood carving is one of the typical crafts of Madagascar.
42. In the south-western region, a wooden sculpture or carving called "aloalo" is usually placed in the tomb of illustrious people. The aloalo explains in images some facts of the deceased's life.
43. On the tomb of important people, in addition to the "aloalo" it is common to place skulls of zebu sacrificed for the occasion.
Even if you do not find penguins in Madagascar, you can find on the island many Other animals that come out in the movie. Here you have some curious facts about the animals of Madagascar.
44. Among the curiosities of Madagascar He points out that more than 90% of his wildlife could not be found anywhere else on Earth.
45. The lemur is sacred among the animals of Madagascar. Malagasy people believe that they carry the soul of their ancestors and therefore venerate them. 90% of the lemur species live on the island.
46. Among the Madagascar animals there is one especially curious: the hissing cockroach or giant cockroach of Madagascar. They measure more than 5 cm., Eat wood and produce a curious whistle when breathing.
47. The "Spider of Bark of Darwin" or "Caerostris darwini", endemic to the island, is the spider that makes the strongest silk in the world. It is ten times stronger than Kevlar and its fabrics can go from one side of a river to the other, being the largest on the planet.
48. Another of the curiosities of Madagascar is that throughout the island you can find chameleons. Almost half of all the world's species live in it. Fascinating!
49. In Madagascar grows a shrub called "Vinca de Madagascar", from which vinblastine and vincristine are extracted, two substances used to fight leukemia.
50. Deforestation is a serious problem facing the island. Since the first humans arrived, it has lost more than 80% of its original forest mass.
Other curiosities of Africa | By countries
Have you been surprised by these curiosities of Madagascar , a country with a unique nature and landscape? If you are fascinated by African countries you may want to know more curiosities of Africa ? Then, explore the following list with the most amazing information of the African continent distributed by countries. Expand your knowledge and let yourself be surprised!
- Curiosities of Egypt
- Curiosities of Kenya
- Curiosities of Morocco
- Curiosities of Kenya
- Curiosities of Mali
- Curiosities of Cape Verde
- Curiosities about Angola
Did you know these curiosities of Madagascar ? Have you been surprised to learn that 80% of its fauna and flora will not be found anywhere else on the planet or that it was in the XVII century the refuge of different bands of pirates? We really want to visit the country! If you know something curious about Madagascar that we have not mentioned, share it with us and we can expand the list!
Images: www.saschagrabow.com , Steve Evans , Flickr ,