MADAGASKAR

Madagascar is a large island in the Indian Ocean located right off the coast of Southeastern Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world with an area of 587,000 square kilometers and is separated from the continent of Aica by the Mozambique Channel.

The major part of the island consists of a highland, with several volcanic ranges. The highest point on Madagascar occurs in the northern mountainous region at Mount Maromokotro, with a summit reaching 9436 feet.

The island itself is about 980 miles long, and about 360 miles at its widest. The Republic of Madagascar also includes a few minor islands. The capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo, located in the central part of the island in the high mountain ranges of the Ankaratra range, with a maximum elevation of 8,671 feet (2,643 meters). The island broke off from the African continent about 165 million years ago, and established its own evolutionary future, serendipitously free from human intervention until the arrival of the first settlers about 1700 years ago. As a result, it possesses a flora and fauna that are largely unique to the island, a biodiversity hotspot with pristine habitats that continue to attract adventurous travelers from far and wide. Approximately 40 percent of the bird species found on the island are unique to Madagascar, as are 80 percent of the flowers, 95 percent of the reptiles, 90 percent of the trees and 99 percent of the primates -- the famous lemurs.\

The land slopes rather steeply from the center down towards the Indian Ocean to the East, and much more gently towards the Mozambique Channel to the West. Rivers which flow to the Mozambique Channel are the Betsiboka, Tsiribihina, Mangoky and the Onilahy. These rivers flow gradually to the Channel and fertilize many valleys on their way, while the rivers which flow to the Indian Ocean run much faster, creating waterfalls and lakes, the largest of which is the Alaotra in the Northeast.

Madagascar's climate is generally tropical with varying amounts of rainfall. Some areas on the eastern coast receive as much as 120 inches of rain every year. On the other hand, some areas in the Southwest are arid, experiencing fewer than 15 inches of rain per year. The rainy season is from November through April.

All around the coast, the temperature is generally hot throughout the year with a much more moderate climate in the central, elevated regions.

The island hosts several tropical rain forests with important timber including valuable hardwoods. The drier regions are home to grasslands and sparser desert-like vegetation, including the peculiar "spiny thicket" flora characteristic of the Southwest.

Research suggests that the island was uninhabited until the first Malayo-Indonesian seafarers arrived some 1800 years ago. One migration theory asserts that these migrants reached the island after a long journey with stops along the coasts of India, the Arabian peninsula and Eastern Africa. Research also suggests that the Malagasy people evolved from successive waves of immigration over several centuries, a fact that accounts for the diversity of racial, ethnic and cultural features in the population of the island today.

A Portuguese seaman, Diego Diaz, was the first of the European explorers to sight Madagascar on his way to India in 1500. Over the next few centuries the Portuguese, the English and the French all tried and failed to dominate and colonize Madagascar, though the French did establish colonies as early as 1642. They had to contend with several Malagasy kingdoms, including those of the Sakalava in the West, the Merina in the Central Highlands, the Betsileo to the South of the Merina, and the Antemoro in the Southeast. By the end of the 18th century, the Merina were united under King Andrianampoinimerina, who reigned from 1787 until 1810, and his thrust to unify the island was continued under his successor Radama I. With Radama I came a new era in Madagascar that saw the modernization of the army, the establishment of schools, and the arrival of the first Christian missionaries. The Merina expanded their rule over the country during the reign of Radama I, as he led the resistance to the continuing French attempts at colonization. By the end of the 19th century, the Merina kingdom ruled all Madagascar except the South and part of the West.

In 1885, the French finally succeeded in establishing a protectorate over Madagascar. Opposition by the Malagasy culminated in the revolt of the "Menalamba" (literally the "Red Shawls") in the Merina region. Nevertheless, in 1896, the French defeated the Merina resistance, exiled Queen Ranavalona III, abolished the monarchy, and claimed Madagascar as a colony. By 1904, the French had full control of the island.

A major uprising against French rule broke out in 1947. French troops eventually crushed the rebellion, killing between 11,000 and 90,000 people in the process. The date of the biggest massacre, March 29, is commemorated to this day in memory of the victims of the fight for liberty and independence. In the decade following the end of World War II, the world slowly came to the realization that colonialism had to end. On October 14, 1958, Madagascar - renamed the Malagasy Republic - became autonomous within the French Community, and Philibert Tsiranana was elected president. Finally, on June 26, 1960, Madagascar became a fully independent State, retaining a friendly association with France. In September of that year, Madagascar was admitted to the United Nations.

In 1972, months after his third re-election, Mr. Tsiranana, leader of the Social Democratic Party, was forced to step down and turn over power to the army led by General Gabriel Ramanantsoa. Three years later, a military leader, Didier Ratsiraka, became Head of State. Mr. Ratsiraka renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Madagascar and in early 1976, he began a seven year term as president. He was re-elected in 1982.

A new President, Albert Zafy, was elected in 1992. After his impeachment in 1996, Mr. Ratsiraka was re-elected president in 1997. He was challenged by the mayor of the capital, Marc Ravalomanana, in the election of December 16, 2001. The results were contested by both candidates, resulting in a political and social crisis that lasted several months and ended with Mr. Ratsiraka's exile to France. Once in office, Mr. Ravalomanana and his administration set out to reach the ambitious goal of reducing poverty in Madagascar by half by 2013. He was re-elected for a second 5-year term in December 2006 with over 54% of the vote in the first round of the poll.

In April 2007, a referendum that saw a 75% voter turnout supported constitutional changes, introduced English as the third official language, and redefined the country's administrative divisions from the previous six provinces to a new set of 22 regions. However a political crisis broke out towards the end of 2008, led by the mayor of the capital, Andry Rajoelina, who challenged the legitimacy of several government decisions. The challenge and ensuing turmoil led to the exile of Mr. Ravalomanana and the establishment of a Transitional Authority backed by the military and headed by Mr. Rajoelina. A year later, no consensus has been reached over a transitional power-sharing formula that would lead to fresh elections.

The Malagasy people have many unique traditions and customs, starting with very strong family bonds. Children usually live with their parents until they want to get married. The engagement or "Fanateram-bodiondry" is a ceremony conducted in the presence of relatives and friends from both sides. During the celebration, the groom-to-be offers a gift to the parents of the future bride, in honor and appreciation of having raised an exemplary daughter. Some families have adopted the western custom of having the groom offer the bride-to-be an engagement ring during the Fanateram-bodiondry. Until the 20th century, the Fanateram-bodiondry was the actual wedding ceremony. More recently however, there came to be an engagement, and a separate wedding day.

Circumcision (Famoràna) is another interesting Malagasy tradition. When a boy is about to be circumcised, all close relatives and friends gather for a feast, and people party all night. At dawn, the child is taken to a hospital to be circumcised. When he returns home, he is offered toys, money, chocolates, and lots of candy. In some cases, especially in rural areas, a traditional practitioner performs the circumcision at home, and the symbolisms in the ceremony and celebrations are more elaborate. In the East coast of Madagascar, in Mananjary, a collective circumcision ritual is celebrated every seven years by the Antambahoaka people. The last such "Sambatra" took place during October, 2007.

Madagascar, "Tanindrazana" (Land of the Ancestors), lives up to the first word in its motto in the elaborate funeral rites practiced around the island. While half of the population are Christian (divided almost evenly between Roman Catholic and Protestant), many continue to practice the cult of the ancestors together with their Christian beliefs. Most Malagasy people respect the ties between the living and the deceased, whom they believe to continue to influence the fate of their living relatives. Unlike the U.S. where people are buried in large cemeteries, families in many areas of the island have their individual family tomb on a family-owned lot of land, built by their ancestors and maintained by the family. These tombs can be quite spacious and well decorated, with many stone-beds that can accommodate generation after generation.

Different regions have different funerary practices. Many Merina and Betsileo people from the Central Highlands perform the "Famadihana" or turning of the bones ritual. Central to the famadihana is the practice of re-wrapping the remains of deceased relatives in expensive shrouds, preferably made of hand-woven "landibe" silk. The remains are then paraded among the well-wishers in great celebration, and re-buried. The goal of the Famadihana is to reaffirm the relationship between the dead and the living, to celebrate the continuation of life, to ensure the protection afforded by the ancestors, and to consolidate the family ties among their descendants. Royal versions of the ritual are practiced in many different regions of Madagascar. The Fitampoha is the ritual bathing of the royal relics practiced in the Southwest of the island. A similar ritual, the Fanompoambe, is practiced in the Northwest. In the North, a ritual washing of the royal relics forms part of the Tsanga-tsaina festival.

The concept of "fady" is very important in people's daily lives. Fady means taboo. It refers to sets of beliefs that prescribe the dos and don'ts of daily life, some of them universal around the island though most of them depend on the region, the particular family's traditions, or even the individual's circumstances.

Analysis

Indonesia and Madagascar has some of the same culture example like we are like to smile and like to each other .  However, we also have many differents sub culture like they have taninzrana as their religion which belief in their anchestor while Indonesia has islam and 4 more religion .

Madagascar also has the culture which every children should stay with the their mother before they get married . actually it’s also be a culture in indonesia as mostly, when the children has not married yet they should stay with the parents too.

But here Madagaskar don’t  have many language as Indonesia . Indonesia has many language which one of the language claimed as one of best language in the world which is Java. But one and only the popular language is malagasi.