Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and houses more than 250,000 species, of which 70% are unique in the world. The island is famous worldwide because of Lemuria, with about 50 species, ranging from normal to bizarre. Lemurians are specific to these islands, but not only – dwarf chameleons, frogs tomatoes, giant jumping rats and hedgehog Madagascar are just some of the strangest animals that live on the island.
Due to the isolation of the African continent in 165 million years ago, the island has been developed plants with remarkable shapes such as swollen baoabul, national tree. Isalo National Park and Tsingy Nature Reserve are places where you can explore these creatures and plants.
Hauts Plateaux is the area that divides the country geographically, climatically and culturally. The coastal strip east of the mountain chain is forested and consists western savanna. Besides natural beauty, Madagascar offers beautiful beaches, coral reefs and plenty of water sports. The capital Antananarivo is the first and last stop for travelers on the island, a place with French flavor.
Madagascar is a place where ancestors are as much today as ever, where there are many taboos prevailing laws and Western religion is mixed with witchcraft and unique burial customs.

Main attractions

• Admire the French flavor and atmosphere of the capital Antananarivo, often abbreviated Tiana. French is widely spoken, and road signs and shops are mostly in French. The city is built on three levels. Visit the national monument of the city – Queen’s Palace and Royal Village or Rova. Merin is the former residence Dynasty, which unified the entire nineteenth century Madagascar for the first time.
• Visit the place where born dough State – Ambohimanga. The structures reveal the destination of the fortress citadel important. Its main gate is an enormous stone disc, which requires 40 people to be moved. Called “Blue City”, “holy city” and “Forbidden City” is surrounded by forests.
• Visit the second mountain of the country, Tsiafajovona, the main city of the country, Antsirabe, called Andasibe. The city has a spa and is surrounded by hills with lakes in volcanic craters besieged.
• Enjoy the views from the Hauts Plateau, a rugged mountain range, north to the center of the country.
• Admire markets animated Madagascar. Toamasina is the country’s main port and provincial capital, with several busy markets, including Be bazaar. In the capital, Zoma market claim to be the second largest in the world.
• Explore the impressive national parks and nature reserves. Bemaraha Tsingy Nature Reserve you can visit the virgin forests, mangrove swamps and lakes of accommodating a variety of rare birds and lemurs.
• Do not miss the volcanic region Ampefy, with spectacular waterfalls and geysers, which houses a species of lemurs without tail and many species of orchids.
• scuba dive centers Nossi Be, Nossi Lava, Toliara and Ile Ste-Marie. Many of them offer beautiful beaches and coral reefs. Diving centers are on the coast north and west.
• Face your fear and macabre and fascinating visit Amabalavao, called “place of the departed”, which is paper and silk antemore aridrano Lamba. And visit the peaks and Ifandana Ambondrome, where they killed 1811 people and mass where the exhumed bones of ancestors.

Food in Madagascar

Rice is ubiquitous in the cuisine of Madagascar. There are two national dishes: romazava – a meat soup and green leaves ravitoto – a stew of pork and manioc leaves. These recipes are flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Each region of Madagascar has its secrets. Northeast coast you will find in vanilla flavor or chicken flavor duck and cock in crustaceans. Street vendors selling barbecue, donuts, fried cassava and rice cakes even. In restaurnte you will find “confit of canards” duck with ginger and peppers, stewed meat pattern or filled with small onions.
A delicacy is a lobster with coconut rice and peanut sauce. Traditional rice drink is water. Juices varies according to season – papaya, mango, tamarind, sugar cane (bets-bets).

History of Madagascar

The inhabitants of Madagascar are a mixture of ethnic groups originating in Indonesia, Malaysia and Melanesia, which merged with the Aboriginal population, but also with the African and Arab immigrant later. Indonesians have migrated to the island in 700. Andrianampoinimerina King (1787-1810) resulted mainly from the island kingdom, and his son Radama I unified the great arts of the island. French protectorate in 1885 transformed the island, then ended the monarchy, banning Queen Ranavalona III in Algiers. He created a colonial administration, the Comoro Islands which were attached to other territories in 1908 and later. In the Second World War the British occupied Madagascar.
Autonomous republic within the French Comunitatioi 1958, Madagascar became independent member of the community in 1960. In 1973, a coup led by Gabriel Ramanantsoa dethroned Philibert Tsiranana, president since 1959. Didier Ratsiraka new president said it would pursue a line socialist, nationalized banks and insurance companies and mineral resources. Regime was characterized by censorship and dictatorship. The president was reelected in 1989 in an election suspect who sparked riots and the formation of a multiparty system in 1990.
In December 2001, electoral contests between President Marc Ravalomanana and Didier, the mayor of Antananarivo, was declared inconclusive. Ravalomanana declared himself president, and Didier said martial law and was a rival capital in Toamasina. At this time, Madagascar had two capitals and two presidents. After a recount of votes, the High Constitutional Court declared Ravalomanana beat.

Useful information

The inhabitants are very welcoming and relaxed, although some strange habits on time – for example, a means of transportation does not start until it is filled, regardless of how long. Avoid military-style clothing. If you stay in a village and give gifts to local people, especially the village head. Respect local taboos, not close to the graves. In some regions are still preserved the habit of inviting an ancestor at the holiday village. It is dug in order to physically attend event. It is a great honor to be invited to such an occasion.