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Repoblika n'i Madagaskar

Madagascar


Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, measuring about 1580 km from north to south and 570 km from east to west, having an area of 587,040 km². It has a population of 13 Million people which speak Malagasy and French. The capital is Antananarivo, other big cities are Toamasina and Fianarantsoa.

Limestone covers about 5% or 33,000 km² and most of it lies in two strips down the drier western side of the country (see the map). The country has only one official show cave - Anohibe, but numerous other dry, level caves are shown to the visitor by enterprising natives, as at Ampanito Valakely (Cave) near the village of Amboaboaka, North Narinda. The Ankarana Caves are famous for their crocodile inhabitants and should be treated with caution.

Due to numerous expedition from England and France, the caves of Madagascar are well documented. A recent paper, Middleton & Middleton has an extensive bibliography, but lack the most important work: