President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar is in Rwanda for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. During his visit, Rajoelina is expected to engage in high-level meetings with President Paul Kagame and other senior government officials to discuss issues of mutual interest, cooperation, and ways to enhance economic ties. ALSO READ: Madagascar president Rajoelina arrives in Rwanda On the first day of the visit, investors and traders from Rwanda and Madagascar will gather in Kigali to explore potential opportunities in the two countries that they can venture into. Both delegations will meet under the Rwanda-Madagascar Business Forum, to among other things, showcase the business and investment opportunities in their respective countries and explore potential partnerships. ALSO READ: Rwanda-Madagascar business forum to explore investment opportunities Equally important, the forum is expected to facilitate meaningful engagements between government officials and private sector players from both countries, fostering greater economic cooperation. Here is a sneak peek into the island: Located off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is home to thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Madagascar’s extraordinary natural diversity earned it the nickname “the eighth continent”. 22 times bigger than Rwanda With an area of 587,041 square kilometers, the island country is 22 times bigger than Rwanda. Geographically, Madagascar – lying off the southeastern coast of Africa – is close to: Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, and South Africa. The nearest mainland state is Mozambique, in the west. Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, has a population of more than 22 million inhabitants. Ahead of it are Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. It is the second-largest island country and the 46th-largest country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Antananarivo. Malagasy In the Malagasy language, the island of Madagascar is called Madagasikara and its people are referred to as Malagasy. Spoken languages are Malagasy and French. But English is also increasingly being used by the population. Everyone living in Madagascar is Madagascan. But not all of them are Malagasy as the latter also refers to more cultural or ethnic issues. Madagascan is more appropriate when referring to the (geographical) origin or location of something (e.g., species) or someone. Unique architecture A veneration of ancestry and tradition pervades the national culture, a reverence that is reflected in the country’s architecture, art, and social manners. The architecture of Madagascar is unique in Africa, bearing a strong resemblance to the architecture of southern Borneo from which the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar are believed to have emigrated. Traditional construction in this part of Borneo is distinguished by rectangular houses raised on piles. The roof, which is supported by a central pillar, is steeply sloped; the gable beams cross to form roof horns that may be decoratively carved. Tourism hotbed As is the norm for islands, Madagascar continues to be a tourism hotbed not only attracting very high-profile personalities from across the world but also generating decent revenues from the sector. Madagascar is a natural paradise. It boasts of a vibrant nightlife with nightclubs, pubs, and cinemas dotted across the entire country, offering tourists and visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the night culture and beauty of the island after sunset. Romazava Madagascar is home to a variety of nutritionally rich delicacies but Romazava – a meat stew filled with a combination of green leafy vegetables – is considered the national dish, and each family makes their own version. Romazava is a one-pot dish, usually eaten with rice for lunch or dinner. The basic ingredients are beef, pork, and chicken cut into equal-size cubes, chopped onions, tomatoes, spinach, and crushed garlic. Tropical storms Reports indicate that the country’s location in the Southwestern Indian Ocean basin puts it in the first position of the nation most exposed to cyclones in the African continent. Tropical Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest-tracked tropical systems of all time, hit Madagascar again in early 2023, with heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds submerging many roads, and destroying schools and health centers. Rice and pastoralism Despite the importance of intensive rice cultivation, the land is used primarily for pastoral purposes. Cattle are kept in all parts of the island; although fewer are found in the dense forest areas of the eastern escarpment. Elsewhere, pastoralism predominates, most often in coexistence with the cultivation of subsistence crops. The forest peoples traditionally grew hill rice, after cutting and burning the forest; this practice continues, although it is discouraged by the government, which promotes the establishment of permanent irrigated rice fields. Rice occupies the largest share of total crop acreage. Many varieties of dry, wet, and irrigated rice are grown in the central plateau; dry rice is also grown in the eastern forests, and wet rice in the lower river valleys. Vanilla A huge amount of the world’s real vanilla is grown there. Bourbon or black vanilla originates in the northwest of the country. While the vanilla orchid comes from Mexico and is pollinated by a rare bee, the story goes that in 1841 a young French-owned slave on what is today Réunion Island, discovered how to pollinate the orchids by hand. It wasn’t long until vanilla plantations began to crop up in Madagascar. Today, they export around 1,000 tonnes of vanilla a year. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries, another reason why Madagascar vanilla beans are so richly flavored. Vanilla's leading flavor is due to the presence of vanillin, an organic compound that delivers those signature sweet, warm, and creamy flavors. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries. Dancing lemurs Among the main reasons people head to Madagascar is to see the various species of lemur that are endemic to the island. There are nearly 100 species of lemur in Madagascar but one of the most well-known is Verreaux’s Sifaka Lemur, nicknamed the dancing lemur. These have white bodies, black faces, slightly webbed hands and feet, and very long tails. Beautiful baobabs Reports indicate that the island boasts an impressive 75% of the world’s baobabs. To appreciate them to the fullest, head to the Avenue of the Baobabs in the Menabe region. There you’ll find two dozen of the ancient trees standing proud along a dirt road. They, and the scattering of other baobabs in the area, were once part of a tropical forest, which was gradually cleared for agriculture. The Lamba Most countries have traditional dress, but what sets Madagascar apart is that its traditional clothes are worn by both men and women alike. The Lamba, a swath of fabric that is worn, wrapped, or draped around the body, also comes in handy for things like strapping babies to their parents’ backs. Different occasions call for different designs, colors, and materials across most of the island. Martial arts Moraingy – a weaponless, bare-fisted striking style of traditional martial art – is a traditional martial art of Madagascar. Originally a way for elders to gauge the strength and fitness of young men, the traditional martial art of moraingy has grown in popularity across the island and even spread to neighboring islands like Réunion, Seychelles, and Mauritius. It is believed to have originated during the Maroseranana dynasty (1675–1896). These days, it is no longer limited to male participants and competitors are weaponless and fight using only their bare fists and feet. Traditionally, the matches were accompanied by music, with the intention of sending both fighters and the viewers into a trance-like state, making for a spiritual experience.
