Madagascar Holidays

Madagascar Holidays

Why not have a vacation in the super nation of Madagascar. It can be a super place to have a vacation or holiday in. Why not go on vacation to the nation to enjoy the super tourist destinations. You may want to meet people, see the culture, see the beaches the inland mountains and the wildlife. You may want to see historic sites. You may want to take break there to see what the place is like. You might be on the business visit. You may be on a place that you own or place you want to rent.

The Malagasy language (pronounced Malagassy) is of Malayo - Polynesian origin and is generally spoken throughout the island. French is spoken among the educated population of this former French colony.

East coast

The east coast consists of a narrow band of lowlands, about one kilometer wide, formed from the sedimentation of alluvial soils, and an intermediate zone, composed of steep bluffs alternating with ravines bordering an escarpment of about 500 meters in elevation, which gives access to the central highlands. The coastal region extends roughly from north of Baie d'Antongil, the most prominent feature on the east coast of the island formed by the Masoala Peninsula, to the far north of the island. The coastline is straight, with the exception of the bay, offering less in the way of natural harbors than the west coast. The Canal des Pangalanes (Lakandranon' Ampalangalana), an 800 kilometer (500 mile) long lagoon formed naturally by the washing of sand up on the island by the Indian Ocean currents and by the silting of rivers, is a feature of the coast; it has been used both as a means of transportation up and down the coast and as a fishing area. The beach slopes steeply into deep water. The east coast is considered dangerous for swimmers and sailors because of the large number of sharks that frequent the shoreline...

Central highlands

The central highlands, which range from 800 to 1,800 m in altitude, contain a wide variety of topographies: rounded and eroded hills, massive granite outcrops, extinct volcanoes, eroded peneplains, and alluvial plains and marshes, which have been converted into irrigated rice fields. The central highlands extend from the Tsaratanana Massif in the north to the Ivakoany Massif in the south. They are defined rather clearly by the escarpments along the east coast, and they slope gently to the west coast. The central highlands include the Anjafy High Plateaux; the volcanic formations of Itasy (Lake Itasy itself is found in a volcanic crater) and the Ankaratra Massif, reaching a height of 2,643 m; and the Ivakoany Massif in the south. The Isalo Roiniforme Massif lies between the central highlands and the west coast. Antananarivo, the national capital, is located in the northern portion of the central highlands at 1,276 m above sea level. A prominent feature of the central highlands is a rift valley running north to south, located east of Antananarivo and including Lac Alaotra, the largest body of water on the island, having a length of forty kilometers. The lake is located 761 m above sea level and is bordered by two cliffs, rising 701 m to the west and 488 m to the east, which form the walls of a valley resembling the rift valleys of East Africa. This region has experienced geological subsidence, and earth tremors are frequent here.

West coast

The west coast, composed of sedimentary formations deposited in several layers over time, is more indented than the east coast, especially in the northwest, thus offering a number of fine harbors sheltered from cyclones, such as the harbor at Mahajanga. Deep bays and well-protected harbors have attracted explorers, traders, and pirates from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East since ancient times; thus, the area has served as an important bridge between Madagascar and the outside world. Silting up of harbors on this coast, caused by sediment from the high levels of erosion suffered inland in Madagascar, is a major problem. The broad alluvial plains found on the coast between Mahajanga (Majunga) and Toliara (Tuléar), which are believed to have great agricultural potential, are thinly inhabited and remain largely unexplored, although they are the subject of growing minerals and hydrocarbons exploration activity. The giant oil fields of Tsimiroro (heavy oil) and Bemolanga (ultra heavy oil) lie towards the west of the island.

Southwest

The southwest is bordered on the east by the Ivakoany Massif and on the north by the Isala Roiniforme Massif. It includes two regions along the south coast, the Mahafaly Plateau and the desert region occupied by the Antandroy people.

Rivers and lakes

The Mananara and Mangoro rivers flow from the central highlands to the east coast, as does the Maningory, which flows from Lake Alaotra. Other rivers flowing east into the Indian Ocean include the Bemarivo, the Ivondro, and the Mananjary. These rivers tend to be short because the watershed is located close to the east coast. Owing to the steep elevations, they flow rapidly, often over spectacular waterfalls. The rivers flowing to the west coast and emptying into the Mozambique Channel tend to be longer and slower, because of the more gradual slope of the land. The major rivers on the west coast are the Sambirano, the Mahajamba, the Betsiboka (the port of Mahajanga is located at the mouth), the Mania, the North and South Mahavavy, the Mangoky, and the Onilahy. The Ikopa, which flows past Antananarivo, is a tributary of the Betsiboka. The Mangoky River has a basin area of some 50,000 square kilometers; the Ikopa River and the Betsiboka River have basin areas of 18,550 and 11,800 square kilometers, respectively. The principal river in the south, the Mandrare, has a basin area of some 12,435 square kilometers, but it runs dry during certain months in this desert region. Important lakes, aside from Alaotra, include Lake Kinkony in the northwest and Lake Ihotry in the southwest.

This is a list of the extreme points of Madagascar, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

Northernmost Point — Cap D'Ambre
Southernmost Point — Cape Vohimena (Cap Sainte Marie)
Westernmost Point — Cape Ankaboa
Easternmost Point — Cape Masoala

Cities in Madagascar:

Ambalavao, Ambanja, Ambatolampy, Ambatondrazaka, Ambenja, Ambilobe, Ambohimahamasina, Ambohimahasoa, Ambositra, Ambovombe, Amparafaravola, Amparihy-Bejofo, Ampitsikinana, Ampombiantambo, Andapa, Antalaha , Antananarivo Renivohitra, Antanifotsy, Antsirabe, Antsiranana, Antsohihy, Arivonimamo, Befandriana Nord, Betroka, Farafangana, Fenoarivo Afovoany, Fenerive Est, Fianarantsoa, Ihosy , Maevatanana, Mahabo, Mahajanga, Maintirano, Mampikony, Manakara, Mananjary, Mandritsara, Maroantsetra, Marovoay, Miarinarivo, Moramanga, Morombe, Morondava, Nosy-Be, Port-Bergé, Sainte-Marie, Sambava, Taolagnaro, Toamasina, Toliara, Tsiroanomandidy, Vangaindrano, Vatomandry, Vohémar