About Madagascar

Climate of Madagascar

The climate of Madagascar is a combination of south-eastern trade winds and north-western monsoons which produce a hot rainy season (during the period of November–April) with frequent destructive cyclones, and a relatively cooler dry season (during the period of May–October). Rain clouds originating over the Indian Ocean discharge much of their moisture over the island's eastern coast; the heavy precipitation supports the area's rainforest ecosystem. The central highlands are drier as well as cooler while the west is drier, and a semi-arid climate prevails in the southwest and southern interior of the island. Tropical cyclones annually cause extensive damage to infrastructure and local economies and loss of life.

Madagascar Ecology

The island being long isolated from its neighbouring continents, Madagascar is home to an abundance of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Approximately 90% of all plant and animal species found in Madagascar are endemic, including the lemurs (a type of strepsirrhine primate), the carnivorous fossa and many birds. This distinctive ecology has led some ecologists to recall it as the "eighth continent", and the island has been classified by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot.

Famous Cuisine in Madagascar

Madagascar cuisine reflects the vast influence of African, Indian, Southeast Asian, Chinese and European traditions. The variety of meals can range from the traditional preparations to the refined festival dishes prepared for the island's 19th-century monarchs. Throughout almost the entire island, the contemporary cuisine of Madagascar typically consists of a base of rice served with an additional (laoka). The many varieties of laoka may be vegetarian or include animal proteins, and typically feature a sauce flavored with such ingredients as ginger, onion, garlic, tomato, vanilla, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, and green peppercorns or, less commonly, other spices or herbs. In parts of the arid south and west, pastoral families may replace rice with maize, cassava, or curds made from fermented zebu milk. A wide variety of sweet and savoury fritters as well as other street foods are available across the island, as are diverse tropical and temperate-climate fruits. Locally produced beverages include fruit juices, coffee, herbal teas and teas, and alcoholic drinks such as rum, wine, and beer. The Three Horses Beer is signified to be the emblem of Madagascar.