The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-03-11
prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. washington. D. c.

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety Washington, D. c.
FF the east coast of Africa lies
a huge French territory that is
seldom heard of. Algeria.
Morocco and Indo-China come
Immediately to mind when French col
Onies and possessions are under dis
cussion, but somehow Madagascar
manages to remain in a sort of twi-
light of world interest
Lying in the Indian ocean, Madagas-
car is sufficiently far away, from both
Europe and America to be dismissed
as a somewhat sizable but isolated
French island But on the score of
size it is a case Of 'the tail wagging
the dog" This third largest of the
worlds islands (leaving polar land
masses out of consideration is larger
than France by some $4,000 square
miles,
If, instead of being situated off the
southeast coast of Africa, Madagascar
lay off the southeast coast of the
United States it would be easily under
stood why the island has been re-
ferred to as virtually a little con-
tinent" If one end of the island lay
In the Atlantic opposite the northern
point of Florida, the other end would
touch Nova Scotia, blocking practically
the entire Atlantic coast of the United
States. And if the outer side of the
island touched Bermuda the land
would extend westward more than half
way to Cape Hatteras.
This imaginary position in the At
lantic would not place Madagascar in
proper relation to the Equator. 1t is
tropical island. If placed in posi-
ton in the north Atlantic truly COM
parable to it's real position in the
southern hemisphere, it would extend
from the latitude of southern Florida
across the West Indies and the Carib-
bean sea to the northern coast of
South America. Because Madagascar
is in the tropics it's low coast lands
are hot and malarial. The greater
part of its area, however, is plateau
which rises several thousand feet
above sea level and furnishes tenn
perate climate well suited to the needs
of Europeans.
Malay Blood In Natives.
The Malagasies, as the natives of
Madagascar are called, are of mixed
blood, and Africa has not contributed
to the extent that might be inferred
from the islands nearness to that con-
tinent The dominant strain seems to
have come from the East Some mem
bers of the leading tribes of the CEN
trail plateau might almost be mistaken
for Malays. In other tribes there is a
mixture of negro, Arab and even East
Indian blood
Many of the Malagasies have
reached considerable degree Of civ
iIization largely due to external influ-
ences. First impulses were contrib
uted at very early date by Arabs;
and ever since 1900, when the island
was first sighted by Europeans bound
for India, there have been contacts
with Portuguese, Dutch, French and
British. OF the three and half mil
lion inhabitants of Madagascar, half
a million are rated as Christians
Since the French declared pro-
tectorate over Madagascar in 1896 and
later made 1t colony, they have built
a railway from Tamatave, chief port,
on the eastern coast, to Antananarivo,
the capital, near the center of the
island. More than 1900 miles of high
ways have been constructed. Huge
areas Of the island are without roads,
however, and considerable regions are
virtually unexplored. Some of the
40 fod mn eScn lf
x trees, shrubs, vines. and vegetable par
nsites that they vie in impenetrability
with the luxuriant forests of the Anna
ION. Many fine cabinet woods grow
on tine island Bamboo fiourishes and
enters into the economy of the natives
as fully as In parts of China and
Japan. One of the most interesting
vegetable growths is the travellers
tree" which may be tapped for water
and the heart of which serves as food.
Madagascar is not all tropical forest
BY any means. Being virtually little
continent it has almost continental
variations In climatic and physical
conditions. Near the east coast is
range Of mountains which rises in the
north to heights Of almost 10000 feet
Along most Of the coast are low, trop
ical strips, unhealthful to white people.
In the interior are grassy prairies,
small steppes covered with scanty pas
turage, and In the south an almost
desert tract. In the temperate upland
plains region. In contrast to the torrid
coastal country, Europeans thrive,
Fine Cattle Country.
Madagascar IS surpassed BY few
lands as cattle country. There are