Luther Walz, age 15, of Monroe, La., for his question:
WHERE IS MADAGASCAR?
Madagascar is an African country that lies in the Indian Ocean about 240 miles southeast of the African mainland. It is made up of one large island and many tiny nearby islands. The large island, also called Madagascar, is the fifth largest island in the world.
Madagascar is only about twice as large as the state of Arizona. Most of the people are either herders or farmers and are of black African or Indonesian descent.
Immigrants from Indonesia came to the big island in successive waves starting long before the time of Christ and lasting until the A.D. 1400s. They settled in the central highlands. Immigrants from Africa and the Arabian peninsula settled on the coasts.
During the 1600s and 1700s, Madagascar was a favorite base for sea pirates. Among the famous pirates who lived there was Captain William Kidd. The pirates founded a republic called Libertalia there, but it lasted only a short time.
France took control of Madagascar in 1896. Independence came in 1960 with the formation of a country called the Malagasy Repbublic. In 1975 its name was changed to the Democratic Republic of Madagascar.
Malagasy is the language spoken throughout the country. It resembles Malay and Indonesian. French and Malagasy are the official languages.
Almost one third of the people are Christians. The rest, especially those living along the coasts, practice tribal religions. They worship ancestors and spirits and perform cattle sacrifices and other ceremonies at family tombs.
Madagascar is the world's greatest vanilla producer. Coffee is the country's most valuable export. Other exports include sisal, which is used to make binding twine, and sugar. Most of the foreign trade is with France. But the United States buys coffee, cloves and vanilla from the country.
About half of the people of Madagascar can read and write. Almost 50 percent of the school age children attend primary schools and only about four percent attend secondary schools. The University of Madagascar, founded in 1961, has about 4,000 students.
The climate of Madagascar is warm and humid on the coast. The southern end of the large island is mainly desert, and it is hot and dry. The highlands of central Madagascar are cool and temperatures range between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
The capital, and Madagascar's largest city, is Tananarive, located inland on the large island.
A narrow plain lies along the east coast, but reefs and storms make the east coast dangerous for ships. Some coastal shipping uses the Pangalanes Canal, which runs along the east coast between two important towns called Foulpointe and Farafangana.
Many people of Madagascar wear European style clothing. However, people of isolated southern tribes often wear little clothing.
Most houses are built of brick and many are several stories high. They have tile or thatched roofs.