Betsimisaraka People
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Betsimisaraka People
The Betsimisaraka ("the many inseparables") are the second largest ethnic groups of Madagascar, ethnic group in Madagascar after the Merina and make up approximately fifteen percent of the Malagasy people. They occupy a large stretch of the eastern coastal region of Madagascar, from Mananjary, Fianarantsoa, Mananjary in the south to Antalaha in the north. The Betsimisaraka have a long history of extensive interaction with European seafarers, pirates and bourgeois traders, which produced a significant subset with mixed European-Malagasy origins, termed the . European influence is evident in the local (waltz) and musical genres, which are typically performed on the accordion. (spirit possession) ceremonies feature strongly in Betsimisaraka culture. Through the late 17th century, the various clans of the eastern coastal region were governed by chieftains who typically ruled over one or two villages. A pirate named Ratsimilaho emerged to unite these clans under his rule in 1710. ...
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Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, fourth largest island, the List of island countries, second-largest island country, and the List of countries and dependencies by area, 46th largest country overall. Its capital and List of cities in Madagascar, largest city is Antananarivo. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from Africa during the Early Jurassic period, around 180 million years ago, and separated from the Indian subcontinent approximately 90 million years ago. This isolation allowed native plants and animals to evolve in relative seclusion; as a result, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, with over 90% of its wildlife of Madagascar, wildlife being endemic. The island has ...
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Central Highlands (Madagascar)
The Central Highlands, Central High Plateau, or Hauts-Plateaux are a mountainous biogeographical region in central Madagascar. They include the contiguous part of the island's interior above 800 m (2,600 ft) elevation. The Central Highlands are separated from the Northern Highlands of the northern tip of Madagascar by a low-lying valley, the Mandritsara Window, which has apparently acted as a barrier to dispersal for species in the highlands, leading to species pairs such as ''Voalavo gymnocaudus'' and '' Voalavo antsahabensis'' in the Northern and Central Highlands. Species restricted to the Central Highlands include the bats '' Miniopterus manavi'' and '' Miniopterus sororculus''; the rodents '' Brachyuromys betsileoensis'' and ''Voalavo antsahabensis''; the tenrecs '' Hemicentetes nigriceps'' and '' Oryzorictes tetradactylus''; and the lemur '' Cheirogaleus sibreei''. Because of the continuous habitat of the Central Highlands, there is little local endemism, unlike t ...
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Foulpointe
Mahavelona (commonly called Foulpointe), is a town in the district of Toamasina II, in the region of Atsinanana, on the northern part of the east coast of Madagascar. Geography It is situated at the coast of the Indian Ocean south of the mouth of the Onibe River. The town is located at 60 km north of Toamasina on the RN 5 between Toamasina and Maroantsetra. There is a reef around 150 metres out to sea which prevents waves hitting the beach; the waters by the shoreline are completely calm as a result. Rivers The Onibe river has its mouth at Foulpointe. Economy Its economy is based on tourism. Administration Eleven Fokontany (villages) are part of this municipality : Foulpointe, Saranaina, Antenina, Vohitamboro, Antaratasy, Marofarihy, Bongabe, Ambohimarina, Morarano, Ambohimanarivo and Ambodivoarabe. International relations Foulpointe is twinned with: * Entre-Deux, Réunion (France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Weste ...
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Antongil Bay
''Helodranon' Antongila'' (Bay of Antongila), more commonly called Antongil Bay in English, is the largest bay in Madagascar. This bay is on the island's east coast, toward the northern end of the eastern coastline of the island. It is within Analanjirofo Analanjirofo is a region in northeastern Madagascar. Until 2009 it was a part of Toamasina Province. It borders Sava Region to the north, Sofia Region to the west, Alaotra-Mangoro Region to the southwest and Atsinanana Region to the south. The c ... administrative region. The bay is about long and wide. Forming the eastern edge of the bay is the Masoala peninsula. The island Nosy Mangabe and the town of Maroantsetra are situated at the northern end of the bay, while the southern end of the bay is near the site of the town of Mananara Avaratra and the mouth of the Mananara River (Analanjirofo). Bays of Madagascar Analanjirofo Pirate dens and locations {{Analanjirofo-geo-stub ...
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Maroansetra
Maroantsetra , formerly Louisbourg, is a market town and domestic seaport in Analanjirofo Region, Madagascar, at the northern end of the Bay of Antongil. In 2018, Maroantsetra counted 42,529 people. Even though it is a small city, Maroantsetra played an important role in the Betsimisaraka history as the unification of this tribe by Ratsimilaho started there. Throughout the eighteenth century, Maroantsetra also actively participated in the piracy and the attack led collectively by the Betsimisarakas against the islands of Comoros and some east African countries. History Maurice Benyovszky arrived in Maroantsetra in February 1774. He established a colony here, which was named Louisbourg. A hospital was built as well as a quarantine post on Nosy Mangabe island just off the coast. Geography and climate Maroantsetra is a coastal town in northeastern Madagascar, approximately by air northeast of Antananarivo. The Antainambalana River flows into the bay after meandering around th ...
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Fénérive Est
Fenoarivo Atsinanana (French: Fénérive Est) is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Analanjirofo region and of the district of Fenerive-Est. Geography It is situated at the East coast of Madagascar, about 103 km north of the city of Toamasina and 58 kms south of Soanierana-Ivongo along the National road 5 to Maroantsetra. Economy The region around Fenoarivo is one of the most important clove growing areas of Madagascar. The city is also one of the most important sea resorts at the East coast. History In the 17th century it was a privateer's harbour. Ratsimilaho, the first king of the Betsimisaraka, was the son of a pirate and a local princess. He is buried on the island Nosy Hely, a former pirate's stronghold that can be visited today (Vohimasina).
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Toamasina
Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French language, French Tamatave or in the past as Port aux prunes, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and largest city Antananarivo. In 2018 Toamasina had a population of 325,857. History Under French rule, Toamasina was the seat of several foreign consuls, as well as of numerous French officials, and was the chief port for the capital and the interior. Imports consisted principally of piece-goods, farinaceous foods, and iron and steel goods; main exports were gold dust, raffia, hides, caoutchouc (natural rubber) and live animals. Communication with Europe was maintained by steamers of the Messageries Maritimes and the Havraise companies, and also with Mauritius, and thence to Sri Lanka, by the British Union-Castle Line. During the colonial period, owing to the character of th ...
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Sakalava People
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar. They are primarily found on the western edge of Madagascar from Toliara in the south to the Sambirano River in the north. The Sakalava constitute about 6.2 percent of the total population, or about 2,079,000 in 2018. Their name means "people of the long valleys." Ethnic identity The Sakalava are a number of smaller ethnic groups that once comprised an empire, rather than an ethnic group in its own right. The origin of the word ''Sakalava'' itself is still subject to controversy, as well as its actual meaning. The most common explanation is the modern Malagasy translation of Sakalava meaning long ravines, denoting the relatively flat nature of the land in western Madagascar. Another theory is that the word is possibly from the Arabic ''saqaliba'', which is in turn derived from Late Latin ''sclavus'', meaning slave. History Sakalavas are considered to be a mix of Austronesian and Bantu peoples. Austronesian peoples from various ...
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Ethnic Groups Of Madagascar Map
An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, religion, history or social treatment. Ethnicities may also have a narrow or broad spectrum of genetic ancestry, with some groups having mixed genetic ancestry. ''Ethnicity'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''nation'', particularly in cases of ethnic nationalism. It is also used interchangeably with '' race'' although not all ethnicities identify as racial groups. By way of assimilation, acculturation, amalgamation, language shift, intermarriage, adoption and religious conversion, individuals or groups may over time shift from one ethnic group to another. Ethnic groups may be divided into subgroups or tribes, which over time may become separate ethnic groups themselves due to endogamy or physical isolation from the parent group. Co ...
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Famadihana
Famadihana is a funerary tradition of the Malagasy peoples of Madagascar. During this ceremony, known as ''the turning of the bones'', people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts, rewrap the corpses in fresh cloth, and rewrite their names on the cloth so they will always be remembered. Then they dance to live music while carrying the corpses over their heads and go around the tomb before returning the corpses to the family tomb. They believe in celebrating the life lived by the dead person."Madagascar's dance with the dead" BBC, 16 August 200Accessed 17 August 2008. Famadihana appears to be a custom of somewhat recent origin, perhaps only since the 17th century in its present form, although it may be an adaptation of premodern double funeral customs from Southeast Asia and Oceania. The custom is based upon a belief that the spirits of the dead finally join the world of the ancestors after the body's complete decomposition and appropriate ceremonies, which ...
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Fady (taboo)
In Malagasy culture, () are a wide range of cultural prohibitions or taboos. People, places, actions or objects may be the subject of ''fady'', which vary by region within Madagascar. The taboos are believed to be enforced by supernatural powers, and are particularly connected with Malagasy ancestor worship. Although some are held nationwide, others may be particular to regions, villages or even individual families. ''Fady'' are an integral part of Malagasy identity and play an important part in community and identity formation. The word is a descendant of Proto-Austronesian *''paliSi'' (compare with Sundanese ''pamali'', Old Javanese ''pali-pali''). Common prohibitions include those against pointing at a tomb, against the eating of eels by pregnant women and, for onlookers, against describing a newborn baby as ugly. New ''fady'' are created constantly. When a new initiative or business is started, a ritual offering (''joro'') must be made to prove that it is not ''fady''. Those ...
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Zebu
The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump on their shoulders, a large dewlap, and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding Tropical climate, high temperatures and are farmed throughout the tropics. The zebu is used as a draught animal, draught and riding animal, dairy cattle and beef cattle, as well as for byproducts such as Hide (skin), hides and Feces, dung for fuel and manure. Some small breeds such as Nadudana also known as the Miniature Zebu, miniature zebu are also kept as pets. In some regions, zebu have significant Cattle in religion#In Indian religions, religious meaning. Taxonomy Both scientific names ''Bos taurus'' and ''Bos indicus'' were introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, with the latter used for humped cattle in China proper, China. The ze ...
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