Discover MADAGASCAR: World’s Capital of Vanilla Production | 10 INTERESTING FACTS

Madagascar. Did you know that it is presumed that it took humans 300,000 years to discover it? Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean. It was previously known as the Malagasy Republic but is now officially referred to as the Republic of Madagascar. It has an area of 592,800 square kilometers, making it the world's second largest island country. Madagascar consists of the island of Madagascar and several other small peripheral islands. It is approximately 400 kilometers off the East African coast across the Mozambique Channel. Malagasy and French are the official languages of the state. Its capital city is Antananarivo and its currency is the Malagasy Ariary. In this video, you will discover 10 facts about Madagascar. Before then, subscribe if you haven't and turn on the notification bell to be notified of any new video. 10. Tsingy de Bemaraja Strict Nature Reserve. Located in the district of Ansalova and in the region of the central west part of Madagascar, it is part of the Maliki region. Its total area is 152,000 hectares. The reserve offers a great variety of geomorphological features such as a cathedral of limestone and spectacular natural landscapes of the Grand Island. Its karstic limestones and limestone uplands are cut into impressive tsingy peaks and there is a forest of limestone needles, rolling hills and peaks and the spectacular canyon of the Manambalo River. In the eastern part, the forest is interspersed by savannas while the western part has a very dissected relief, most of which is covered by a forest that is dense, dry and deciduous. These undisturbed mangrove swamps, lakes and forests are a habitat for rare and endangered birds and lemurs. Tsingy Reserve is basically a stone forest. It is internationally acclaimed as the Amusem of Stone Forest Karst because of its diverse karst types. 9. Was a Haven for Pirates. During the golden age of piracy, Madagascar was the perfect safe haven for pirates. Piracy was so rife that it threatened the world economy. The lucrative trade of the colonial powers of Spain, the Americas, France and Britain was affected. The Caribbean seas became so unsafe with the flocking of pirates in Madagascar. For instance, sometime in the 1600s, there were about 1,500 pirates living on the island. Saint Marie was a popular pirate base from where they would head up to intercept and rob mogul shipping on the Hajj pilgrimage. Others targeted Coromandel and Malabar coasts of India attacking wealthy mogul merchants or the East India Men. The land had few laws. Madagascar had a sheltered harbor, ready supply of fresh produce, clean water, friendly natives and was close to the lucrative shipping routes of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. From the 18th century, piracy started declining due to reasons such as increasing competition from native Indian pirates and the end of the mogul empire. Most of them chose to accept government pardon instead of facing the gallows when caught. By 1711, there were less than 100 pirates in Madagascar. When you go exploring the natural scenery of the island, you will more likely encounter a lemur and not a pirate with a patch on one eye ready to rob you. 8. Mind-Boggling Traditions and Customs. Below are some of them. Burying the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn. After birth, these two are given to the father of the child whose responsibility is to bury them under a flat stone, at the entrance of the ancestral home. Nowadays, it is buried somewhere around the house where it won't be tampered with in any way. The father is not supposed to turn his head while burying the umbilical cord and the placenta. This tradition symbolizes the continuation of lineages. b. All houses should face west. When a Malagasy builds a house, there are rules and rituals that have to be respected. They believe that the best sunshine is in the afternoon so all the houses open up to the west. In the traditional building process, the east facade is completely closed off with no doors or windows. Doors are generally located in the west and windows in the north. c. Wrapping ancestors every seven to nine years. This is the Malagasy custom known as Famadihana which when translated literally means to return a deceased person's body. It's usually a big family gathering where the deceased's family comes together to organize the event. The body is exhumed then rewrapped. It is a celebration of life and parenthood. There are many other traditions including the fact that there are no funerals on Thursday and there is the eating of a mixture of baby hair, honey and sweet potatoes to get the baby fully integrated into society. 7. The Great Red Islands and its rivers. Madagascar is called the Great Red Island because of the prominence of red lateritic soils. The red soils are predominantly in the central highlands. There are also much richer soils in regions of former volcanic activity, Serotonina to the north and Edesi and Ankaratra. Astronauts looking down on Madagascar from the International Space Station see eye-catching sights of rivers. The longest one is the Mangake River with a length of 350 miles. Other rivers include the Onilahi, Betsaboka, Sophia, Ihasi, Zomando, Menarandra and Mahavevi rivers. The waters are often a rusty red due to heavy loads of suspended sediment. They pick up great amounts of sediment, often from the iron-rich red soils and rocks. These are called laterites. Other than Madagascar being called the Great Red Island, it is also called the Rainbow Island and the Eighth Continent. It was previously called the Isle of Saint Lawrence by the Portuguese who frequently raided Madagascar during the 16th century. 6. The sport of Morangi. Morangi is a combat sport practiced in the Indian Ocean originating in Madagascar. This is a brutal mixed martial arts tradition in the country. It is a reflection of local art. The Fagnarolahi, that is the fighters, perform a violent dance until someone is knocked down or the referee identifies a winner. Bouts are characterized by fists, elbows, knees and feet accompanied by vicious slugs and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. Blows are exchanged for what can be said to be unbearably long periods of time. Modern Morangi has fighters of all ages competing for prizes such as TV sets, stereos and cash. Some events have thousands of spectators, MCs, cheerleaders and live music such as Salaji. This is a homegrown folk-pop genre that features instruments like the accordion, electric guitar and traditional percussion. In the past, there were drum beats and shakers. While the fights are deadly, rituals around the sport encourage mutual respect. Both the victor and the vanquished are celebrated. 5. World's capital of vanilla production. Is vanilla a fruit? Well, vanilla is the only fruit-bearing member of the orchid family. Vanilla bean is produced by a flower that lasts only one day. The beans are hand-picked, cured, wrapped and dried within a four to six months period. Who brought vanilla Madagascar? It is said that Edmond Albius, a young slave boy working on a plantation in the French colony of Réunion, discovered a method for hand-pollinating vanilla flowers in the 1840s. His technique spread to nearby Madagascar, where French administrators encouraged its cultivation. According to the SpringerLink paper published in May 2021, the northwestern Sava region of Madagascar is the largest vanilla-producing region in the world. More than half of the world's vanilla production comes from the region. This is due to the large global demand for natural vanilla since 2014. Prices of cured, black vanilla have increased from less than US$50 to US$600 between 2012 and 2018. Vanilla's leading flavor is due to the presence of vanillin, which is an organic compound that delivers sweet, warm and creamy flavors. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than vanilla beans from other countries. In 2019, Madagascar exported US$651 million in vanilla, making it the first largest exporter of vanilla in the world. The next time you enjoy vanilla ice cream, at least you know that the vanilla bean is produced in Madagascar and Indonesia. 4. Madagascar Lemurs and Chameleons 1. Lemurs Lemurs are wet-nosed mammals of the Lemuroidea family. They are small, have a pointed snout, long tail and large eyes. They are native only to the island of Madagascar because they had no predators since they arrived on the island years ago. They mainly live in trees and are nocturnal. Lemurs share a resemblance with other primates. Lemurs range in weight from 30 grams to 9 kilograms. They are generally the most social of the Strepsiran primates and communicate more with sense and vocalizations. There are about 32 different types of lemurs in Madagascar. All of them are endemic to the country. Lemurs are or used to be a sacred animal in Madagascar. They are greatly revered and worshipped by the Malagasy. They are believed to carry the souls of their ancestors. Chameleons Chameleons are small to mid-sized reptiles famous for their ability to change color. Did you know that chameleons don't change color to match their surroundings? Color is used to convey emotions, communicate with mates and defend territories. Madagascar is home to about half the world's 150 or so species, like the typical chameleon and the dwarf chameleons. Chameleons have bulging eyes, feet in grasping position and crests or horns on the heads of different species. Arboreal species have prehensile tails and some species have extensile tongues. They mostly lay eggs. Chameleons have two layers of specialized cells lying just beneath its transparent outer skin. 3. Is Madagascar the 8th continent? It has unique plant and animal species. The flora and fauna of the country have independently evolved from other continents. Its fascinating national parks will amaze you with a variety of lemurs like the large indri indri and silky safaka, beautiful chameleons, orchid-filled rainforests, granddeers baobabs, geckos, tenrecs and many more. According to a review done for Peter Tyson's book on Madagascar, Madagascar is a land where lizards scream and monkey-like lemurs sing songs of inexpressible beauty. It is a place where creatures you may never have heard of, of fossa and tenrecs, vongas and aye-ayes, thrive in a true lost world, along with bizarre plants like the octopus tree and the three-cornered palm. And where the ancestors of the Malagasy, as the island's people are known, come alive in rollicking ceremonies known as Turning the Bones. Madagascar is yet to be announced as the 8th continent. 2. Zafamannari Villages. The Zafamannari live in the forested mountains of the southern central highlands, southeast of Ambositra. This is between the Tanala peoples and neighboring Betsilio. The Zafamannari are a subgroup of the Betsilio ethnic group. There are about 100 of their villages supporting a population of about 25,000 people. They are known for their woodcarving knowledge and art. Their homes are built with wood without nails. Houses and other wooden items like tools and furniture are decorated with symbolic geometrical patterns that blend Austronesian and Arab influences. Fire is used to harden wood used in making arrows and blowpipes. In 2008, Zafamannari woodworking was inscribed on the UNESCO representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is believed that the Zafamannari have retained other Malagasy cultural practices and beliefs. For example, a child to be circumcised is ritualistically measured for his coffin before initiation is done. Traditional clothing was made of beaten bark cloth. They practice the tradition of erecting tall standing stones to commemorate an ancestor or an event in the ancestor's life. The Lokenga is a musical instrument favored among them. 1. What to eat in Madagascar. Madagascar cuisine is influenced by China, Arabs, France, and India. The dishes are spicy with a lot of garlic, chili, curry, ginger, and tomatoes. Breakfast mostly consists of a plate of rice with fried chorizo or egg. It is accompanied by French bread with butter and condensed milk. There are also vegetarian and meat options. The dishes are always dressed with a sauce containing vanilla, ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, salt, and curry powder. Dishes you could try on your visit are. a. Eel with pork tomatoes, chives, peppers, and collard greens served with boiled rice. b. Masakita skewers of zebu meat served with rice. c. Okoho chicken and rice. d. Ramazava stew of diced zebu meat. e. Sesaka black pudding with white beans and boiled rice. f. Laysapi vegetable soup. g. Ravitoto mashed cassava leaves with pork or zebu meat. h. Hina cassava sauce pork dish. There is also a large production of local rum and a deep-rooted tradition of drinking palm wine or trembo. There is also a large variety of tropical fruits like guava, coconut, pineapple, mango, tamarind, or avocado. Fresh fruit juice, black tea and coffee are drinks you can try. We have come to the end of our video. Do leave a thumbs up if you liked it and share. Until next time, bless.