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Introduces the land, history, government, people, and economy of the republic occupying the fourth largest island in the world. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A solid study of fire
This book is an excellent, thorough study of the role of fire in Madagascar.People in Madagascar light fires to clear forest and pasture.This habit has been widely denounced in official and popular sources.Many writers believe, mistakenly, that Madagascar was covered with lush forests until people got there and started burning.Yet, Madagascar is mostly a dry tropical environment, with frequent lightning storms.The existence of fire-adapted endemic plants and vegetation types confirms what common sense would lead us to expect:fire has always been there.On the other hand, much superb forest, especially in the eastern and central highlands of the country, has been converted to waste by burning in recent decades or centuries.
Christian Kull discusses this complex picture--good fire, bad fire, complex fire.He shows that the inflated rhetoric about fire's awful effects stems from the needs of national and colonial regimes to maintain control as much as from the actual needs of fire management.He provides a number of excellent case studies of local communities that use fire in a variety of ways--sometimes for good, sometimes for ill, in terms of overall welfare and environmental management.He provides really excellent suggestions at the end on what should be done--I hope the NGO's and Madagascar government are reading this book.
One problem that might deserve more attention is the case of introduced plants.Madagascar was inflicted by the French colonial regime with eucalyptus, pine, and acacia--nonnative plants that burn explosively. (Native forests do not burn so explosively, so far as I have observed.) They have created an unnatural and terribly fire-prone environment in many areas.They are currently managed (illegally!) by local burning during times that are wet enough to prevent runaway fires.
So, why not five stars?First is that Kull gets carried away at times, and indulges in rhetoric that is a bit too "inflammatory" (the word is irresistable).The government and NGO workers are really not just out to push people around; there is a real point here.Burning is too little controlled and too badly managed.The leaders are clearly motivated by a desire for control, but they have a real point, too.Simplistic bash-the-leaders rhetoric sits poorly with Kull's otherwise thoughtful and nuanced study. Second, Kull might have checked more on other areas of the world--those in which indigenous burning is much better controlled and managed than it is in Madagascar (e.g. the Maya lowlands of Mexico), and those in which it is as badly managed, with devastating results (parts of south China).Third, Kull does not say enough about the biodiversity problem, which is getting worse by the day.Madagascar is home to an incredible endemic biota, which must be preserved for the benefit of humanity.Unfortunately, the costs of preserving this biota are currently being paid by the desperately poor Malagasy people, while the benefits go to humanity as a whole--especially to well-off tourists and scientists.Fire prevention to save endemic species is desperately needed, but somebody will have to figure out how to compensate local people more fairly.Kull's advice on overall fire management is so good that he might well turn his efforts to this problem.As I explained to some students in the Madagascar bush:It's not about lemurs vs. people, it's about lemurs and people vs. no lemurs and no people.
Fire management is a part of the wider issue of environmental control, an issue far too important to be left to government agents or local people or anyone else.We all have to work on it; all of us, lemurs included, are in this together. ... Read more

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Madagascar presents a lucid view of an intriguing, simple,and struggling country that is unique in many respects. "There is no otherplace like it," states author Dr. Daniel Gade, and readers will beextensively enlightened as they journey through this land of redlandscapes, strange animals, traditional cultures blended from Indonesianand African sources, and optimism amidst social change and enormousdifficulties.

Gade introduces the reader first to the natural landscape of Madagascar,"The Great Red Island." while relating important categories of landforms,weather, water and vegetation to the human presence. Next, the majorcultural sources and traditions of Madagascar are identified, and theseare followed by a review of modern Malagasy society and economy. The bookconcludes with a forward-looking assessment of the current and near futurestatus of the island country as a member of the world community ofnations. ... Read more

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Short history of Madagascar
Despite its small size, this book is a very good primer on the island of Madagascar.It covers geology, climate, and the people and animals that live on the "Red Island."A good book to read before you go to Madagascar. ... Read more

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Chapters: Ardennes. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 61. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Geography of Madagascar -Madagascar can be divided into five geographical regions: the east coast,the Tsaratanana Massif, the central highlands, the west coast, and the southwest. The highest elevations parallel the east coast. Land coverage (left) and topographical (right) maps of Madagascar The east coast consists of a narrow band of lowlands, about one kilometer wide, formed from the sedimentation of alluvial soils, and an intermediate zone, composed of steep bluffs alternating with ravines bordering an escarpment of about 500 metres (1,640 ft) in elevation, which gives access to the central highlands. The coastal region extends roughly from north of Baie d'Antongil, the most prominent feature on the east coast of the island formed by the Masoala Peninsula, to the far north of the island. The coastline is straight, with the exception of the bay, offering less in the way of natural harbors than the west coast. The Canal des Pangalanes (Lakandranon' Ampalangalana), an 800-kilometre (497 mi)) long lagoon formed naturally by the washing of sand up on the island by the Indian Ocean currents and by the silting of rivers, is a feature of the coast; it has been used both as a means of transportation up and down the coast and as a fishing area. The beach slopes steeply into deep water. The east coast is considered dangerous for swimmers and sailors because of the large number of sharks that frequent the shoreline. The Tsaratanana Massif region at the north end of the island contains, at 2,880 metres (9,449 ft), the highest point on the island and, north of this, the Montagne d'Ambre (Ambohitra), which is of volcanic origin. The coastline is deeply indented; two prominent features are the excellent ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=50874 ... Read more

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Chapters: Mozambique Channel, Districts of Madagascar, List of National Parks of Madagascar, Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, Regions of Madagascar, Betsiboka River, Mangoky River, Isalo Iii Formation, Lake Tritriva, Makira Natural Park, Lokobe Reserve, Betampona Reserve, Tsaratanana Reserve, Walters Shoals, Antsiranana Bay, Mount Ambohitra, Mandraka Falls, Zahamena Reserve, Bemarivo River, Marotandrano Reserve, Mananjary River, Marojejy National Park, Maningoza Reserve, Onilahy River, Mania River, Canal Des Pangalanes, Malagasy Protectorate, Ampombiantambo, Ampitsikinana, Fenoarivo Afovoany, Kirindy Mitea National Park, Maevatandria, Morondava Basin, Manombo Reserve, Analamazoatra Reserve, Ántevamena, Vaovao, Ambohitantely Reserve, Kalambatritra Reserve, Kasijy Reserve, Sahamandrevo, Baie de Baly National Park, Cape Saint Marie, Tampoketsa Analamaitso Reserve, Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve, Ambohijanahary Reserve, Pic D'ivohibe Reserve, Amber Forest Reserve, Analamerana Reserve, Andranomena Reserve, Mangerivola Reserve, Manongarivo Reserve, Ambatovaky Reserve, Bemarivo Reserve, Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, Bora Reserve, Tsimanampetsotse National Park, Midongy Du Sud National Park, Zahamena National Park, Ikopa River. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 135. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Districts are third-level administrative divisions of Madagascar below the autonomous provinces (which are to be dissolved in 2009), and regions. Districts are in their turn divided into communes; while some of the districts on urban areas such as the district of Toliara consists of only one commune, most of the districts are divided typically into 520 communes. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16518765 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Geographical Review, published by American Geographical Society on October 1, 1994. The length of the article is 4488 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: The rice cultivators of Alaotra, Madagascar, resist changes in timework experience initiated by the green revolution. Cultivators observe taboo days for economic, social, and cultural reasons and as an evasive tactic in the face of state intervention in landownership and cropping patterns. Peasant work rhythms are not mindless adherence to tradition: they are logical responses to economic and social constraints and signify cultural practices that ensure group identity and the continued existence of cultural rules.

Citation Details
Title: Taboo and time-work experience in Madagascar.
Author: L.A. Jarosz
Publication: The Geographical Review (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1994
Publisher: American Geographical Society
Volume: v84Issue: n4Page: p439(12)

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Madagascar. History of Madagascar, Madagascar Plan, Battle of Madagascar, Politics of Madagascar, 2009 Malagasy political crisis, Provinces of Madagascar, Geography of Madagascar, Fauna of Madagascar, Ecoregions of Madagascar, Economy of Madagascar, Foreign relations of Madagascar, Demographics of Madagascar, Music of Madagascar, Cuisine of Madagascar, Outline of Madagascar, Malagasy language, Ranavalona I ... Read more

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Pack your bags! We're headed to Madagascar. On this whirlwind tour, you'll learn all about the country's landscape, culture, people, and more. We'll explore Madagascar's strange wildlife, taste a hot side dish called lasary voatabia, and attend Alahamady - a festive new year's celebration. A special section introduces Madagascar's capital, many languages, population, and flag. Hop on board and take a fun-filled look at your world. ... Read more

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Introduces the land, history, government, people, and economy of the republic occupying the fourth largest island in the world. ... Read more

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Youth and identity politics figure prominently in this provocative study of personal and collective memory in Madagascar. A deeply nuanced ethnography of historical consciousness, it challenges many cross-cultural investigations of youth, for its key actors are not adults but schoolchildren. Lesley Sharp refutes dominant assumptions that African children are the helpless victims of postcolonial crises, incapable of organized, sustained collective thought or action.
She insists instead on the political agency of Malagasy youth who, as they decipher their current predicament, offer potent, historicized critiques of colonial violence, nationalist resistance, foreign mass media, and schoolyard survival. Sharp asserts that autobiography and national history are inextricably linked and therefore must be read in tandem, a process that exposes how political consciousness is forged in the classroom, within the home, and on the street in Madagascar.
Keywords: Critical pedagogy ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Geographical Review, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1240 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Isle of Fire: The Political Ecology of Landscape Burning in Madagascar.(Book review)
Author: S. Robert Aiken
Publication: The Geographical Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 96Issue: 1Page: 176(3)

Article Type: Book review

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Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Madagascar," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Madagascar in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Madagascar when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Madagascar, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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While doing fieldwork in a village in east Madagascar that had suffered both heavy settler colonialism and a bloody anticolonial rebellion, Jennifer Cole found herself confronted by a puzzle. People in the area had lived through almost a century of intrusive French colonial rule, but they appeared to have forgotten the colonial period in their daily lives. Then, during democratic elections in 1992Ð93, the terrifying memories came flooding back. Cole asks, How do once-colonized peoples remember the colonial period? Drawing on a fine-grained ethnography of the social practices of remembering and forgetting in one community, she develops a practice-based approach to social memory. ... Read more