Madagascar

Madagascar: History, Culture and Economy

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic, French: République malgache), is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world.

Archaeologists generally say Madagascar was first inhabited sometime 300BC – 500AD, by Austronesian peoples who arrived on outrigger canoes.Since, there have been many Bantu and Arab influences and population intermixture.

Madagascar was ruled by the local Merina kingdom in the 19th century and was part of the French colonial empire from 1890 to 1960, when the current Republic of Madagascar became independent.

Malagasy, the local language spoken by the majority of the population, is an Austronesian language and one of the official languages. The other official languages are French, official since independence, and English, official since 2007.

The main religions are Malagasy mythology and Christianity but there also minorities of other religions, most significantly Islam.

Madagascar is home to 5% of the world’s plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar.They include the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families and six baobab species.

Notes from Wikipedia

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50+ Things to Do in 50 African Countries

We had fun writing this post for Matador Trips called “50+ Things to Do in 50 African Countries”. Having visited more than 17 African countries so far, and spoken with hundreds of travelers, we’ve accumulated this list. If you’re looking for something amazing to do in any of the countries on the continent, here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Algeria: Spend a day walking in Algiers to see Turkish palaces and the Martyrs Monument. The Dar Hassan Pacha Palace is a good one.

2. Angola: Head to Luanda in February for their annual carnival and join other expats for live shows and movies at Karl Marx. Claudio Silva has more in 5 Reasons to Go to Angola in 2009 (And Beyond).

3. Benin: See lions, leopards, hippos, and more at the Parc National de la Penjari. In Contonou, we hear the bar Le Costa Rica is a lot of fun.

4. Botswana: The best-value walking safari in Southern Africa is right next to Gaborone at a place called Mokolodi Nature Reserve. We love their permaculture projects, and they offer rhino tracking and safaris by horseback.

5.…

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What Does the Seattle Post-Intelligencer & Uganda’s New Vision Newspaper Have in Common?

Look at “Thinking Big by Starting Small” in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which was co-written with Stephanie Hanson, the Director of Policy and Research at the One Acre Fund.

Here is how it begins: “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the fact that 1 billion people worldwide are going to bed hungry every night. And, in the United States, it is easy to look at sub-Saharan Africa—where the majority of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood but still do not get enough to eat—and want to just throw money at the problem. Or worse, to give up hope…”

Please click HERE to read more.

A second article was written for Uganda’s New Vision newspaper and was a response to a recent piece called “Only 7% of women own land.”

Here is how it begins: “The article highlighted the incredible economic disadvantage and risk to food security women face when they cannot own land. More important than exposing this inequity, however, is recognising the need for innovative programmes and tools to improve access to land, resources, and agricultural training for women.” Click HERE to read more.

Original at borderjumpers1.blogspot.com

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Border Jumpers on STA TravelBuzz’s Travel Tuesday

A guest post by Border Jumpers was featured on STA TravelBuzz’s regular series, Travel Tuesday. Check it out below!

This Travel Tuesday brings you a guest post from Border Jumpers, Bernard Pollack and Danielle Nierenberg, who believe studying abroad in Africa may very well change your life…

Africa is not a destination that most college students choose for their study abroad programs. Lots of misconceptions exist that make some people cross it from their list — too dangerous, too difficult, and too different.

Yet, having just traveled through seventeen African countries (and to all the places suggested below), we found that all to be untrue.

The advantage to embarking on a journey like this is to pull you totally out of your comfort zone, where you immerse yourself in a community, interact with different cultures, and share new experiences. Not only do we feel safe as we travel here but precisely because we are visitors people welcome us into their homes, share their dinner tables, and introduce us to their families.

It’s probably too cliché to say that Africa will change you life — celebrities from Bono, Alicia Keys, Michelle…

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A Few Words About Madagascar

Sometimes it’s good to be cautious–and other times it’s better to go with your gut.

People told us not to visit Madagascar, that political conflict made the country unsafe for tourists.

But we decided to go anyway because if we had listened to those voices, we’d never have gone to Nairobi, Kampala, or Kigali.

We are cautious when we travel, but aware that our best and most eye-opening experiences are places well off the beaten path.

And, Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital city, is a place we fell in love with.

The narrow streets, alleyways, cobblestone roads, and historic buildings remind you, at times, of parts of Western Europe. At the same time the markets, the noise, the traffic, the energy, the goats and livestock walking along the highways, were all quintessentially African.

Our journey started as we did a field visit to RTM. RTM is an Italian NGO, working with farmers to provide alternatives to slash and burn agriculture–which is practiced in many rural areas as a way to provide nutrients to the soil. Unfortunately, the nutrients don’t last more than a season or two, forcing farmers to burn more forest.

Afterwards we met with Xavier Rakotonjanahary, Rice Breeding Coordinator, National…

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With Your Own Eyes

An excerpt from a piece originally featured on Travel Around the World.


We want to paint a new picture of Africa, one far different from the infomercials and images we’ve become accustom to. We are meeting with Africans on the ground, who are using their vast knowledge, and developing innovative ways of reducing hunger and improving food security in their communities. We want them to be the face of our project, putting their stories front and center, sharing their hopes and dreams to audiences they’ve never reached before.


If you haven’t already, we urge you to consider seeing Africa with your own eyes, so here are some innovative ways and tips to help you get your hands on African soil


For Students:
-If you are looking for something this summer and curious about Madagascar – we fell in love with the capital city Antanarivo – you might want to check out Reef Doctor. You can get free diving training and certification and conduct hands-on marine research, all while working with local fishing communities in the third largest coral reef system in the world.


We want to paint a new picture of…

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The Real Madagascar

In 2008, I traveled to Madagascar and prepared this video from my travels, I hope you enjoy it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eSl_2bNzWo[/youtube]

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