According to the theory of continental drift, there was a single continent of Gondwana in the Mesozoic era. Because of the cataclysms, it split into huge areas of land, including this island. No traces of the prehistoric existence of the Malagasy were found by scientists. The first inhabitants of Madagascar are considered to be Polynesians, who came here in the VI century BC by boat either through India and Somalia or directly across the Indian Ocean. In III century B.C. Indonesians arrived here. Nowadays 19 large nationalities are living in Madagascar. The first ethnic kingdoms appeared only in the XV century. Three centuries later King Andrianampuynemerina began the process of unification of the country. He leads this process from Ambuhimanga, the dynastic capital of kings. Under his rule, the borders of a centralized state called Imerina reach the sea. The capital of the country is Antananarivo, where the residence of the rulers after the monarch of Madagascar is being built. Under
According to the theory of continental drift, there was a single continent of Gondwana in the Mesozoic era. Because of the cataclysms, it split into huge areas of land, including this island.
No traces of the prehistoric existence of the Malagasy were found by scientists. The first inhabitants of Madagascar are considered to be Polynesians, who came here in the VI century BC by boat either through India and Somalia or directly across the Indian Ocean. In III century B.C. Indonesians arrived here. Nowadays 19 large nationalities are living in Madagascar.
The first ethnic kingdoms appeared only in the XV century. Three centuries later King Andrianampuynemerina began the process of unification of the country. He leads this process from Ambuhimanga, the dynastic capital of kings. Under his rule, the borders of a centralized state called Imerina reach the sea. The capital of the country is Antananarivo, where the residence of the rulers after the monarch of Madagascar is being built. Under Queen Ranavaloon II, France established its protectorate over this territory. Only in the early years of colonization did the French carve out a quarter of the local population.
The independence of the island was declared relatively recently, only 40 years ago. Colonization had little impact on Malgach culture, beliefs, and rituals. Perhaps the only thing that the colonizers have been able to establish here is the French language. It is still the second official language of the country.
- Madagascar's culture and nature are very different from the countries of the Black Continent. The vast national parks of the country are home to trees and animals, which are not found in other countries. Of the 36 species of terrestrial mammals, 32 are found only in Madagascar. There are 740 species of orchids and 19 species of lemurs. The rarest and most mysterious of them is Indri. Lemur is a highly revered animal on the island. It is the lemurs that concern numerous Fadi, the Malagasy analog of the Polynesian taboo. Until recently, crocodiles were also affected by Fadi. The Malgashs believed that the souls of their deceased ancestors moved there. To be related to a crocodile is great luck. Bad fadi spread to chameleon as well. If he crawled on the roof of the house, the whole village could move to another place. So far, the boys believe that the chameleon brings misfortune.
- Madagascar ranks first in Africa in terms of cattle per capita. 14 million people are living in the country. There are 2 million more cows and bulls here. Malgashes call them zebras. Most likely, zebras were brought to Madagascar by Indonesians for ritual purposes. Until recently, zebras were used only as draught animals, now bulls are attracted to agricultural work in rice fields.
- Rice is Madagascar's most common crop. Rice terraces have been built for tens of thousands of kilometers. 80 percent of the islanders are employed in the production of this crop. In addition to rice growing on the island is developing production of wine, which began to do the first missionaries, who appeared in the city of Feanarantsoa in the XIX century. Since then, production technology has changed little.
- The city of Ambalavau produces Satari, a paper known throughout Africa. Arabs introduced the process of making it out of Malagasy wood. The history of Satari production dates back to the XV century. It was the privilege of sorcerers who made talismans and black magic books out of paper. Faith in the magic properties of Satari has not disappeared so far.
- The first church was built here in 1837 on the island of Nusi-Buraha. It is called the island of women. One of them saved the shipwrecked Arab Ibrahim from her fellow tribeswomen. Since then the island has been called the island of Ibrahima or Nusi (island) - Buraha (Ibrahima). The geographical position of the island attracted pirates from all over the Indian Ocean. In the far north of Madagascar, in the second-largest bay in the world, Diego-Suarez, the first and last pirate republic of Libertalia was founded. It was founded by sailor Misson and Dominican priest Caraccioli in 1694. Now here is the city of Antseranana.
To the northwest of Madagascar lies the island of Nusa Be. Be is a big one. Here, in the bays of Ampasindava and Ambavutube, in 1904 there was an armada of Admiral Rozhestvensky. 52 ships were waiting for the order to move towards Port Arthur blocked by the Japanese. The Russian sailors left a good memory of themselves. In their honor, the bay is now called the bay of the Russians.