Madagascar

DISCOVERING AFRICA

MADAGASCAR PROFILE:
Population: 15 million
Average age: 15 years
Life Expectancy: 52.19 years
Infant mortality rate: 93.5 deaths/1000 live births
Religions:
Indigenous Beliefs/Ancestor Worship: 52%,
Christian 41%,
Muslim 7%
Official Languages: French & Malagasy
Ave. Annual Income: $820.
Capital City : Antananarivo ,
Population: 1,250,000.
Madagascar is a diverse ecological area consisting of mountain highlands in the central region, coastal plains on the east and west, and tropical rainforests, savanna grasslands and deserts in the western and southern areas of the island.
Madagascar is 1,000 miles long by 350 miles at its widest point. The Island has an area of 227,780 square miles. Only 4% of the land is arable, while meadows and pastureland take up 58% of the land; forest and woodlands occupy 26% of the land. There are several species of flora and fauna that are unique to the island and are now on the endangered list.
Archaeologists believe that the first humans arrived from Indonesia and Malaysia , around 2,000 years ago. Around the same time, people from Africa migrated to the island. Since then many tribes and empires have formed on the Island . There are 18 federally recognized tribes, three other clan groups and many minority ethnic groups. People from the Middle East, France , Germany , China and India have migrated to the island within the last 100 years.