History of Madagascar
FLAG
The flag of Madagascar was adopted in 1958 (two years before independence). It consists of a white vertical stripe on the left, with red and green horizontal stripes on the right. Red and white are the colors of the historic marina kingdom, while the green represents the peasants of Havana who fought for independence against France.
Madagascar Flag | country information |
Country | Madagascar |
Capital city | Antananarivo |
Continent | Africa |
Population | 31,263,403 (2019) |
Total area | 587,041 km2 |
GDP | $ 945 (IMF, 2012) |
Code | MG (MDG) |
Calling code | +261 |
Internet TLD | .mg |
Early History
Accounts vary, but most are settled around 2000 CE as the first settlement of Madagascar or 300 BCE. Nevertheless, the island was one of the last major landmasses to be inhabited. Over the centuries, Madagascar developed a mixed ethnic base of mostly East African and Southeast Asian settlers.
Settlers lived far away from agriculture, moving slowly from coast to inland, but it was not until the early 17th century that higher fields of irrigated rice were used in the higher regions.
Description and contact
Since the sixteenth century, traders, pirates, and explorers from both Europe and the Arab world have pursued Madagascar. By the end of the 18th century, the island had developed a reputation for both piracy and the slave trade. Some even point to a nearby island, such as the famous pirate home to Utopia called Libertalia (a symbol of a vein like Shambhala or El Dorado).
Kingdom
Around the early nineteenth century, the powerful Marina kingdom was dominated by Madagascar. Kings and Queens formulated their policies blocking British and French colonialism. Some kings enacted controversial trade treaties, while others found themselves victims of various political conspiracies.
French
The French invaded Madagascar in 1883 after realizing that the Lambert Charter was not honored. After that, marched on the French capital. Despite losing many troops to the disease, he took the antennaro and claimed Madagascar to be a colony. Under French rule, slavery was abolished, but many farming activities continued throughout the country. World War II weakened the colonial government because of the occupation of the native country, while Madagascar itself was a battleground between the central government and Britain. After a period of reform, Madagascar gained complete independence in 1960.
Sovereign and modern era
The path from independence to the present is not always clear, with many republics resulting in many changes to the constitution. Many of the leaders were military men, Deputy Admiral Didier Ratsierka ruled from 1975-1993. During that time, Madagascar was found on the eastern block. There have been many cases during the few decades in which presidential guards opened fire on unarmed protesters in 1991. Because of this, Ratsirka was on one side.
Eventually, with a clear separation of powers, a new multi-party democratic system was established. Despite the development of periods, economic hardship and corruption have given rise to Madagascar in the 2000s. In early 2009, Mark Rawlomana was removed from the presidency by Andrew Rajoulena. The Fourth Republic was established and free, fair elections were held in 2013. Serious questions and a great deal of political uncertainty remain, however Madagascar is working to reverse the recent worries.