Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, is slightly smaller than the state of Texas. Surrounded by the Indian Ocean (and the Mozambique Channel on its western border), her closest neighbor is Mozambique, about 250 miles away. The official language is Malagasy, which also refers to people native to Madagascar. The country broke away from French colonial rule in 1960, but French is also an official language. Most of the population earns a living from agriculture, including fishing and forestry. Madagascar is an extremely poor country and also has a high rate of malnutrition. Unpredictable weather affects crops adversely and destroys the country’s infrastructure, and only about one-third of the island has access to electricity.
To me, the most fascinating thing about this island is that 90% of the plants and animals living on Madagascar aren’t found anywhere else in the world. This is primarily due to strong ocean currents, which prevent wildlife and plants or seeds from traveling to the African coast. Madagascar’s best-known animals are lemurs, which are only found on the island. There are over 100 species of lemurs, ranging from the tiny mouse lemur (weighing barely over 1 ounce) to the large indri, which weighs almost 20 pounds. Other fascinating creatures include tomato frogs, Malagasy leaf-nosed snakes, and fossa, which are the largest members of the mongoose family - and the island’s largest mammal. Madagascar holds rainforests, deserts, and grassy plains, which allow so many different types of species to exist.
Listed below are books about Madagascar, all of which can be found at the library.
–This blog post is authored by FVRLibraries Senior Collection Development Beth Wood. Her column "Check It Out" runs weekly in the The Columbian newspaper.
Nonfiction
Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia
FEMALE CALIGULA: RANAVALONA, MADAGASCAR'S MAD QUEEN
MADAGASCAR: THE EIGHTH CONTINENT: LIFE, DEATH & DISCOVERY IN A LOST WORLD
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