Madagascar
Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed Asian and African
origin. Research suggests that the island was uninhabited until
Indonesian seafarers arrived in roughly the first century A.D.,
probably by way of southern India and East Africa, where they
acquired African wives and slaves. Subsequent migrations from both
the Pacific and Africa further consolidated this original mixture,
and 18 separate tribal groups emerged. Asian features are most
predominant in the central highlands people, the Merina (3 million)
and the Betsileo (2 million); the coastal people are of more clearly
African origin. The largest coastal groups are the Betsimisaraka
(1.5 million) and the Tsimihety and Sakalava (700,000 each).
The Malagasy language is of Malayo-Polynesian origin and is
generally spoken throughout the island, with significant regional
variations. French is spoken among the educated population of this
former French colony. English is becoming more widely spoken, and in
2003 the government began a pilot project of introducing the
teaching of English into the primary grades of 44 schools, with
hopes of taking the project nationwide.
Most people practice traditional religions, which tend to emphasize
links between the living and the dead. They believe that the dead
join their ancestors in the ranks of divinity and that ancestors are
intensely concerned with the fate of their living descendants. The
Merina and Betsileo reburial practice of famadihana, or "turning
over the dead" celebrate this spiritual communion. In this ritual,
relatives' remains are removed from the family tomb, rewrapped in
new silk shrouds, and returned to the tomb following festive
ceremonies in their honor.
About 41% of the Malagasy are Christian, divided almost evenly
between Roman Catholic and Protestant. Many incorporate the cult of
the dead with their religious beliefs and bless their dead at church
before proceeding with the traditional burial rites. They also may
invite a pastor to attend a famadihana. While many Christians
continue these practices, others consider them to be superstitions
that should be abandoned. Many of the Christian churches are
influential in politics. In the coastal regions of the provinces of
Mahajanga and Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Muslims constitute a
significant minority. Muslims are divided between those of Malagasy
ethnicity, Indo-Pakistanis, and Comorans. |
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The written history of Madagascar began in the seventh century A.D.,
when Arabs established trading posts along the northwest coast.
European contact began in the 1500s, when Portuguese sea captain
Diego Dias sighted the island after his ship became separated from a
fleet bound for India. In the late 17th century, the French
established trading posts along the east coast. From about 1774 to
1824, it was a favorite haunt for pirates, including Americans, one
of whom brought Malagasy rice to South Carolina.
Beginning in the 1790s, Merina rulers succeeded in establishing
hegemony over the major part of the island, including the coast. In
1817, the Merina ruler and the British governor of Mauritius
concluded a treaty abolishing the slave trade, which had been
important in Madagascar's economy. In return, the island received
British military and financial assistance. British influence
remained strong for several decades, during which the Merina court
was converted to Presbyterianism, Congregationalism, and
Anglicanism.
The British accepted the imposition of a French protectorate over
Madagascar in 1885 in return for eventual control over Zanzibar (now
part of Tanzania) and as part of an overall definition of spheres of
influence in the area. Absolute French control over Madagascar was
established by military force in 1895-96, and the Merina monarchy
was abolished.
Malagasy troops fought in France, Morocco, and Syria during World
War I. After France fell to the Germans, the Vichy government
administered Madagascar. British troops occupied the strategic
island in 1942 to preclude its seizure by the Japanese. The Free
French received the island from the United Kingdom in 1943.
In 1947, with French prestige at low ebb, a nationalist uprising was
suppressed after several months of bitter fighting. The French
subsequently established reformed institutions in 1956 under the Loi
Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully toward
independence. The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on October 14,
1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. A period
of provisional government ended with the adoption of a constitution
in 1959 and full independence on June 26, 1960. |
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