Madagascar: The Exotic Island
Looking at a map of the southern hemisphere, one wouldn't expect such a seemingly "small" island to be so exotic and bountiful, but the island of Madagascar is just that. A 226,658 square mile (587,041 square kilometers) piece of land, with a a coastline of about 2,480 miles (3,990 kilometers), it's a beautiful and different view of its large neighbor, Africa.
The island itself is made up of ridges, rivers, valleys, and tropical forests sectioning off the different regions of the landscape, scattered trees and tall grasses to one side, narrow coastal plains, and low plataeus and plains off to another. To the north is Mt. Maromokotro, the highest peak on the island at 9,436 feet (2,876 ...
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forests in the west and evergreen forests on the eastern edge of the central plateau. An interesting climate for such a unique place.
The animals there are also different and the likes of which not found anywhere else; not even in Africa. 50 species of lemurs inhabit the island, as well as 800 different types of butterflies. Though near the once-dubbed "Dark Continent", the species and vegitation seem to have remnants of Eastern India, proof perhaps that the island is a breakaway of the decidedly larger continent of Asia.
The peoples of the large island are as diverse as the wildlife, ranging from the Malagasy to the French, several native groups mixing with those of foreign origins. The population in itself has near doubled since 1950, 80 percent, mostly rural. Malagasy and French are the officials languages of the island, with Christians (both Roman Catholic and Protestent) making up the most of the religious groups.
Half still follow traditional ways, however. Education is ...
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"Madagascar: The Exotic Island." Essayworld.com. June 29, 2004. Accessed March 29, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Madagascar-The-Exotic-Island/10233.
"Madagascar: The Exotic Island." Essayworld.com. June 29, 2004. Accessed March 29, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Madagascar-The-Exotic-Island/10233.
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