Portal:Madagascar
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Madagascar,officially theRepublic of Madagascar,is anisland countrycomprisingthe island of Madagascarand numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast ofAfrica,it is the world'sfourth largest island,thesecond-largest island countryand the 46th largest country in the world. Its capital and largest city isAntananarivo. Following the prehistoric breakup of thesupercontinentGondwana,Madagascar split from Africa during the EarlyJurassic,around 180 million years ago, and split from theIndian subcontinentaround 90 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation; consequently, it is abiodiversity hotspotand one of the world's 17megadiverse countries,with over 90% ofwildlifebeing endemic. The island has a subtropical to tropical maritime climate. Madagascar was first settled during or before the mid-first millennium AD byAustronesian peoples,presumably arriving onoutrigger canoesfrom present-dayIndonesia.These were joined around the ninth century AD byBantumigrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa. Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. Consequently, there are 18 or more classifiedpeoples of Madagascar,the most numerous being theMerinaof the central highlands. Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by a fragmented assortment of shifting sociopolitical alliances. Beginning in the early 19th century, most of it was united and ruled as theKingdom of Madagascarby aseriesof Merinanobles.The monarchy was ended in 1897 by theannexation by France,from which Madagascar gained independence in 1960. The country has since undergone four major constitutional periods, termed republics, and has been governed as a constitutional democracy since 1992. Following apolitical crisis and military coup in 2009,Madagascar underwent aprotracted transition towardsits fourth and current republic, with constitutional governance being restored in January 2014. (Full article...) This is aFeatured article,which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia..
Lemurs of Madagascaris a 2010reference workandfield guidefor thelemursofMadagascar,giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor isRussell Mittermeier,president ofConservation International,and the cover art and illustrations were drawn byStephen D. Nash.Currently in its third edition, the book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and also helps travelers identify species they may encounter. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists. The first edition was reviewed favorably in theInternational Journal of Primatology,Conservation Biology,andLemur News.Reviewers, includingAlison Jolly,praised the book for its meticulous coverage of each species, numerous high-quality illustrations, and engaging discussion of lemur topics, including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinctsubfossil lemurs.Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, includingecotouristsand lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in theAmerican Journal of Primatology,where it received similar favorable comments, plus praise for its updates and enhancements. The third edition was reviewed favorably inLemur News;the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book, but was concerned that the edition was not as portable as its predecessors. (Full article...)Selected article -
Toamasina(Malagasy pronunciation:[toˈmasinə̥]), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and inFrenchTamatave,is the capital of theAtsinananaregion on the east coast ofMadagascaron theIndian Ocean.The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated 215 km (134 mi) northeast of its capital and biggest cityAntananarivo.In 2018 Toamasina had a population of 325,857. (Full article...)
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TheIsalo serotine(Laephotis malagasyensis) is avesper batofMadagascarin the genusLaephotis.It is known only from the vicinity of theIsalo National Parkin the southwestern part of the island, where it has been caught in riverine habitats. After the first specimen was caught in 1967, it was described as asubspeciesofEptesicus somalicus(nowNeoromicia somalica) in 1995. After four more specimens were collected in 2002 and 2003, it was recognized as a separate species. Because of its small distribution and the threat ofhabitat destruction,it is considered "vulnerable"in theIUCN Red List. Laephotis malagasyensisis a relatively small species, with a forearm length of 30 to 32 mm (1.2 to 1.3 in) and a body mass of 3.9 to 9 g (0.1 to 0.3 oz). The fur is dark brown above and mixed buff and gray below. The ears are translucent and thetibiais short. Thebaculum(penis bone) resembles that ofN. melckorum,but is smaller. The duration of theecholocationcall, which consists of a component with rapidly falling frequency and one showing more stable frequency, averages 4.9msand the interval between calls averages 69.1 ms. (Full article...)General images -The following are images from various Madagascar-related articles on Wikipedia.
Selected panoramaRice fields nearAmbalandingana,Madagascar.
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