Madagascar is a fascinating island home to 30+ million people. It's also home to bizarre, volatile politics that virtually nobody knows about. And the president just escaped on a helicopter.
Great to revisit Madagascar! Will definitely read the recommended book on vanilla (my kind of botanical/historical/social/cultural/economic history). Thanks Brian. Hope Z not too jealous of the lemur shots.
Thanks, Brian. I recall when I was younger being fascinated by Madagascar after seeing lemurs at the zoo and remember being especially drawn to reading about its strange predator, the fossa. In my young imagination I envisioned it as a kind of “Eden”- a paradise off by itself separated from the mess humanity was making of the rest of the world. But I see I had that wrong. Clearly humanity is on full display there as well - with all its superstition, violence, cruelty, greed, corruption, international intrigue and natural exploitation. But also the aspiration and hope in the young that things could be better!
Excellent article , as ever. I'd add that the British also invaded in WW2 to fight against the Vichy French who were considering giving Japan a deep water base. My grandfather, an entomologist attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps section of the East African based Kings African Rifles spent his time there persuading both sides to have a truce so that he could spray mosquito breeding pools and reduce malaria, with one genus there bearing his name.
WOW. I'd noted the recent rebellion in Madagascar, but thanks for fleshing out this most interesting country. I know where Madagascar is, but didn't know the capital. Unlike Bandar Seri Begawan, a capital whose name I know--but I always have to look up which country it is in.
I knew the name of the capital and I claim my ten points! Lovely lemur photographs, thank you.
Such a well crafted sentence - "But in Madagascar, the ordeals took on a deadly local flavor, provided by the poisonous tangena nut."
Great to revisit Madagascar! Will definitely read the recommended book on vanilla (my kind of botanical/historical/social/cultural/economic history). Thanks Brian. Hope Z not too jealous of the lemur shots.
Thanks, Brian. I recall when I was younger being fascinated by Madagascar after seeing lemurs at the zoo and remember being especially drawn to reading about its strange predator, the fossa. In my young imagination I envisioned it as a kind of “Eden”- a paradise off by itself separated from the mess humanity was making of the rest of the world. But I see I had that wrong. Clearly humanity is on full display there as well - with all its superstition, violence, cruelty, greed, corruption, international intrigue and natural exploitation. But also the aspiration and hope in the young that things could be better!
Excellent article , as ever. I'd add that the British also invaded in WW2 to fight against the Vichy French who were considering giving Japan a deep water base. My grandfather, an entomologist attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps section of the East African based Kings African Rifles spent his time there persuading both sides to have a truce so that he could spray mosquito breeding pools and reduce malaria, with one genus there bearing his name.
Amazing!
“Bewildering, but true” might just be the perfect encapsulation of everything, everywhere, all the time
WOW. I'd noted the recent rebellion in Madagascar, but thanks for fleshing out this most interesting country. I know where Madagascar is, but didn't know the capital. Unlike Bandar Seri Begawan, a capital whose name I know--but I always have to look up which country it is in.
DID the snipping lemur have rabies?