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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.

  • Betsileo Ambositra Madagascar
    Young Malagasy boy - Betsileo Tribe - near Ambositra, central highlands, Madagascar.
  • Malagasy Sakalava Baobabs Adansonia Morondava Madagascar
    Young Malagasy boy (Sakalava tribe) in rice field with Grandidier's Baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) behind. Near Morondava, western Madagascar. (digitally stitched image)
  • Malagasy girls Rosy Periwinkle Catharanthus roseus leukemia. Madagascar
    Young Malagasy girls holding the flowers of Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) - the source of the drug that treats child leukemia. Central Highlands, Madagascar.
  • Market Sendrisoa Andringitra Madagascar
    Market day, Sendrisoa village, near Andringitra, Madagascar
  • Mother child, Antany fotsy Andringitra Madagascar
    Mother with child, Antany fotsy village, near Andringitra, Madagascar
  • charcoal Ifaty Spiny Forest Madagascar
    Malagasy Family preparing charcoal in pit. Ifaty Spiny Forest, southern Madagascar.
  • Ranomafana village Madagascar
    Sun rise over Ranomafana village, adjacent to Ranomafana National Park, south eastern rainforest region, Madagascar.
  • Rice fields deforestation highlands Andringitra Madagascar.
    Rice fields / paddies in the deforested central highlands. Near Andringitra, Madagascar.
  • Sakalava woman fish Morondava Madagascar
    Sakalava woman carrying basket of fish on head, Morondava, Madagascar.
  • forest clearance Spiny forest Ifaty, Madagascar
    Slash and burn (Tavy) forest clearance. Spiny forest, Ifaty, south west Madagascar.
  • Slash and Burn Tavy Forest destruction Mantadia Madagascar
    Slash and Burn (Tavy). Forest destruction on the edge of Mantadia National Park. East Madagascar.
  • digging gold Golden-crowned Sifaka Propithecus tattersalli Daraina Madagascar
    Malagasy villagers digging for gold near in the forests inhabited by Golden-crowned Sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli) near Andranotsimaty, near Daraina, northern Madagascar.