“Tanindrazana, Fahafahana, Fandrosoana”, is the national motto of Madagascar meaning Fatherland, Liberty, and Progress in Malagasy. Madagascar has developed a remarkable assortment of ecosystems all living within one single unit.
Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. The world's fourth-largest island, it is twice the size of Arizona. The country's low-lying coastal area gives way to a central plateau. The once densely wooded interior has largely been cut down. (Infoplease, 2012)
By the beginning of the 17th century there were a number of small Malagasy kingdoms, including those of the Antemoro, Antaisaka, Bétsiléo, and Merina. Later in the century the Sakalava under the control of King Andriandahifotsi he conquered west and north Madagascar, but the kingdom collapsed in the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century the Merina people were united under King Andrianampoinimerina (reigned 1787–1810), who also conquered the Bétsiléo. Radama I (reigned 1810–28), in return for agreeing to end the slave trade, received British aid in modernizing and equipping his army, which helped him to conquer the Betsimisáraka kingdom. (Infoplease, 2012)
Madagascar is a unique country with an impressive variety of rituals that influence their lifestyles and their individuality; however, they have a complex and structured way of living.
Madagascar’s culture is very widespread throughout the different ethnic groups living on the island. All eighteen cultural or ethnic groups speak a different dialect of Malagasy, yet they can all understand one another. The Malagasy language traces back to the eastern shores of the Indian Ocean. There are also traces of Bantu, which is a group of languages from Central and Southern ...
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... cousins. Lemurs survived on Madagascar because they had little competition among primates and few other natural enemies. Each of the thirty species of lemurs found on Madagascar live in a particular area of the island. Most Lemurs spend their time in the treetops, leaping from tree to tree, but some live on the ground as well. Like people, Lemurs have the all- important opposable thumb, but they have thumbs on their feet as well as on their hands. This gives them four ways to grip branches and food. Each species of Lemur enjoys a different diet, which makes the loss of habitat even more threatening. (Ettagale Blauer, 1999)
The country of Madagascar is an unmatched beauty that has diverse communities that can all be grouped together in one unit. The entire country is so unique and full of surprises, so much so that not even scientist know what they will find next.
The inspiring documentary film, E.O. Wilson—Of Ants and Men, showcases biologist Edward Osborne Wilson’s passion for preserving the biodiversity of our natural world. E.O. Wilson not only values the fascinating creatures (particularly ants) that he comes across during his research and in his daily life, but he also takes action and participates in the Gorongosa Restoration Project at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Africa. The destruction of Gorongosa demonstrates the call for us—Homo sapiens—to realize how critical it is to concern ourselves with protecting the very ecosystems that have molded us into the complex species that we are; according to E.O. Wilson, “We adapted over millions of years to wild environments…We really need them” (CITE?). The better effort we make to understand that we are a part of this large, interdependent ecological community, the better equipped we become in not only being
In the 21st century, slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade are viewed as immoral and quite possibly the most horrifying treatment known to man by society and foreign leaders but, was the same view regarded in the 17th century? The short primary sources, “Nzinga Mbemba: Appeal to the King of Portugal”, and “Captain Thomas Phillips: Buying Slaves in 1639”, enables individuals to identify how foreign leaders, specifically the kings of African nations, conducted the issue of slavery and the slave trade. In the words of Nzinga Mbemba and Captain Phillips, the kings of Congo and Ouidah both knowingly accepted slavery in their country but, had strikingly opposing views concerning the Atlantic Slave Trade; King Mbemba prohibited the trading of slaves whereas the King of Ouidah welcomed slave trading.
Here comes the big question; How did the family Boidae reach all the way from areas of Asia, the island of Madagascar and Africa to the Americas? It is not entirely possible to give an accurate or complete sequence of events for the Boidae family, but the relationship between all of the snake families and their distributions can help to fill in some of the gaps that are missing. Many hypotheses have been created without much evidence to try to understand this distribution of the boids. The first hypothesis stated that these particular snakes reached Madagascar from the African mainland before the Mozambique Channel was formed. On a related note, the presence of Boas on Madagascar shows us that this family of snakes had already evolved before
Twagilimana, Aimable. Hutu and Tutsi (Heritage Library of African Peoples Central Africa). 1st ed. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 1998.
I, Grand Leader Minus, have assumed absolute monarchy over a newly formed Island ten miles east of Madagascar. I have named it, “The Land of Greats”. The Land’s borders are defined by the surrounding ocean. Thus it has no land-based neighbors, as we are surrounded by ocean, however, we are relatively close to Madagascar, ten miles. This new geography, is adjacent to Madagascar at a size of 600 thousand square kilometers. On the west side, the side facing Madagascar, there is a cliff that inhibits any movement onto the whole west of the island. The Land of Greats has an abundance of vegetation, animals, and forestry. Most of the year it is hot and rainy which provides a climate great for the growth of fruit, which our Land thrives off of.
When reading the three stories from Madagascar, readers could come up with a why-based question to help interpret the stories. In the second story, the readers wonder, “Why did God call the zebus, rather than some other animal?” God called the zebus because they are special, and no one on earth is allowed to kill them. The opening line of the story illustrates this idea: “In olden times no one was allowed to kill a zebu or cut
In 1958, their population was approximately 40,000. The pursuant gatherers of Mbuti people are separated into several subgroups. They lived within their individual region, where they have their own languages and engage in their hunting practices. Each Mbuti subgroup uses a language of a nearest person and they do not have a text method. Their sizes are usually small and average; they also have naturally brown skin and churlish hairs. Mbuti persons exist in bands of 15 to 60. They live in hot, sticky and plentiful precipitation forest which is sprinkled with lakes and rivers. It also has a wealthy variety of flowers and animals. The Mbuti have exte...
Morocco is a fascinating country in Africa. My parents both originate from Morocco. I thought it would be interesting to learn where my family is from. Morocco is in northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and the Western Sahara.
...unequal access to knowledge. Furthermore, sapphires are worthless to locals because they lack the ability to bargain and underestimate the value of sapphires. Market transaction, as any capitalist system relies on civilian’s lack of awareness thereby exposing their vulnerability to the exploitation of the ruling class. Hence why Malagasy locals cannot fathom what foreigners find so special about sapphires. Without commodification of feeling, the sapphire industry would deteriorate into abyss. Investigating the social inequalities of Madagascar opened my eyes to social barriers that countries suffer through at the hands of capitalism. However, identifying these obstacles not only provides anthropologists with ethnography, but also with the capacity to produce social change. Anthropologists have what the community of Madagascar longs for, equal access to information.
Looking at a map of the southern hemisphere, one wouldn't expect such a seemingly "small" island to be so exotic and bountiful, but the island of Madagascar is just that. A 226,658 square mile (587,041 square kilometers) piece of land, with a a coastline of about 2,480 miles (3,990 kilometers), it's a beautiful and different view of its large neighbor, Africa.The island itself is made up of ridges, rivers, valleys, and tropical forests sectioning off the different regions of the landscape, scattered trees and tall grasses to one side, narrow coastal plains, and low plataeus and plains off to another. To the north is Mt. Maromokotro, the highest peak on the island at 9,436 feet (2,876 meters). Coral beaches line the east coast, adding to the natural beauty of the already lovely landscape.The tropical climate provides varying amounts of rainfall-from 83 inches (211 centimeters) in the northwest to 14 inches (36 centimeters) in the southwest. The drought-infested south is extremely hot and dry, and the west is hot and wet.
...Kedah, and Penang Island in Penang. The largest island shared with another country is Borneo, followed by Sebatik Island. In addition, Malaysia lies within the world's coral reef distribution.[15] The reefs can be usually found around islands such as Sipadan Island, Swallow Reef, and Redang Island.[citation needed] Sipadan Island, an underwater mountain, is Malaysia's only oceanic island.[16]
Lesotho is a small, very poor, country. Like other countries in Africa, life is a mess. They have a very poor health system and a failing education system; nearly 85% of this country is illiterate. Lesotho is a third-world country .Lesotho itself is 25% urban and 75% rural. One interesting thing that differs from most of Africa, which has over half of the population under 15, is that...
For thousands of years, these affluent terrestrial vegetations have provided the habitat and patronage elements that were essential for the survival of the Papuan people. Accordingly, the vast majority of the Papuan people (87 ...
Ethnicity plays a large role in South Africa’s culture. Ethnic identity, refers to the participation in a certain cultural group. It is defined by shared cultural practices, such as holidays, language, and customs. People from South Africa can share the same nationality but have different ethnic groups. Ethnic groups may be either a minority or a majority in a population such as black and white in South Africa, but cultural diversity is a referral to human qualities which are different from our own and those of groups that one may belong. The diversity of culture in South Africa reflects the many dimensions including but not limited to: ethnicity, traditions, customs, beliefs
Mauritius is an island off the coast of South Africa with a rich history and a diverse population. With people yielding from Asia, Europe, and Africa, there is a blending of cultural festivals as well as traditions that make Mauritius what it is today (Mauritius Views). Colonization and never ending globalization make it a matchless cultural source. In order to fully understand the array of customs on the island, one must first look at its history and how it has come to be home to a range of ethnic groups.