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Highlights: Culture

Madagascar has a rich and unusual culture. The first humans arrived relatively recently, around 2000 years ago, and surprisingly from South East Asia. They brought a rice culture with them and this still dominates Malagasy life today. Sadly, Madagascar is also synonymous with environmental degradation; more than 90% of forest cover has now gone and much of this has been cleared to grow rice and feed hungry mouths.

  • Bara woman Andringitra Madagascar
    Portrait of Bara woman, Andringitra, Madagascar.
  • Betsimisaraka girl Maroantsetra  Madagascar
    Portrait of Betsimisaraka girl playing in surf, near Maroantsetra, north east Madagascar
  • Betsimisaraka planting manioc slash and burn Mantadia Madagascar
    Betsimisaraka women planting manioc after slash and burn (tavy) near Mantadia National Park, Madagascar
  • Charcoal Antandroy Madagascar
    Charcoal production in Antandroy village, southern Madagascar
  • Aerial deforestation erosion Madagascar
    Aerial view of deforestation and erosion. North West Madagascar.
  • Aerial deforestation erosion Madagascar
    Aerial view of deforestation and erosion. North West Madagascar.
  • Aerial deforestation erosion Madagascar
    Aerial view of deforestation and erosion. North West Madagascar.
  • Aerial fire deforestation erosion Madagascar
    Aerial view of fires, deforestation and erosion. North West Madagascar.
  • Hardwoods Rosewood  Maroantsetra illegal Masoala Madagascar
    Hardwoods (Rosewood sp.) lying on the quayside in Maroantsetra. Collected illegally from the region of Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar. November 2009.
  • Hardwoods Rosewood Maroantsetra illegal Masoala Madagascar
    Hardwoods (Rosewood sp.) lying on the quayside in Maroantsetra. Collected illegally from the region of Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar. November 2009.
  • Homeless woman Antananarivo Madagascar
    Homeless woman sleeping rough on the street, Antananarivo, Madagascar
  • Illegal wood Maroantsetra Masoala Madagascar
    Stacks of illegally collected wood lying on the quayside in Maroantsetra. From the region of Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar. November 2009.