![]() ![]() Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by a fragmented assortment of shifting sociopolitical alliances. Subsequently, the Malagasy ethnic group is often divided into 18 or more subgroups, of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands. Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. These were joined around the ninth century AD by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa. ![]() Madagascar was first settled during or before the mid first millennium AD by Austronesian peoples, presumably arriving on outrigger canoes from present-day Indonesia. ![]() Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from the Indian subcontinent around 90 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation consequently, it is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, with over 90% of wildlife being endemic. Home to around 30 million people, Madagascar consists of an eponymous main island (the world's fourth largest by area) and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Its capital and largest city is Antananarivo. At 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi), it is the world's second-largest island country, after Indonesia. Madagascar ( / ˌ m æ d ə ˈ ɡ æ s k ər, - k ɑːr/ Malagasy: Madagasikara, pronounced ), officially the Republic of Madagascar (Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, Malagasy pronunciation: French: République de Madagascar) is a sovereign island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |