Ilakaka is a small town in
Ihorombe Region in the south western part of
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. In the early 1990s there were only about 40 residents in the area. After the discovery of one of Earth's largest known
alluvial sapphire
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...
deposits in the valley of the
Ilakaka river in 1998, the population had boomed to nearly 60,000 in 2005. Since high profits are at stake, violence is common in the town.
Geography
Ilakaka is in
Ihosy District,
Ihorombe Region, 735 km south of
Antananarivo, near
Isalo National Park.
It is found along the
Route nationale No.7 from
Toliara (210 km) to
Fianarantsoa (307 km) in southwestern Madagascar.
It is situated at 210 km from Tuléar, 26 km from
Ranohira and 84 km from
Sakaraha.
[Atlas Mondial, France Loisir, page 159]
History
In 1998, after the discovery of an important
sapphire
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...
mine, what was once a quiet rural village has been transformed into a
Wild West town, a victim of "Sapphire fever," with thousands of arrivals hoping to stake a claim, complete with bars, brothels, and scores to settle.
The fever has overrun the entire country and every day hundreds of people flow in from throughout the region.
Demography
The village has exploded with the incessant influx.
As of 2008 the population was about 30,000 according to local authorities, but the number is highly approximate given the incessant turnover. All 18 ethnic groups of Madagascar are represented.
Religion
There is a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and a Church Rhema in Ilakaka.
Administration
Ilakaka belongs to the district of
Ihosy, in the region of
Ihorombe, in the province of
Fianarantsoa.
Environment and infrastructure
Unofficial plots are pitted with wells, into which the miners descend to find a seam. The landscape has been remade by such operations.
The
sheet metal shacks where the miners live have neither
running water
Tap water (also known as faucet water, running water, or municipal water) is water supplied through a tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used for drinkin ...
nor
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
, and there are very few paved roads.
The area is spotted with
giant baobabs.
References
External links
Sapphire Rush in Ilakaka
Close-up satellite map of Ilakaka
* http://www.riva-press.com/det.php?id=13 - Reportage about Ilakaka by French-Malagasy photojournalist Rijasolo (Riva Press agency)
{{Authority control
Populated places in Ihorombe
Sapphire mines in Madagascar