Madagascar

__Madagascar__ __Country's Background Information:__ -Location and Neighboring Countries: Island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, nearest to Comoros and Mozambique -Major Type of Topography: It's maily made up of a block of crystalline rocks. It's mainly thought to be a plateau. There are deep gorges, waterfalls, and volcanic outcrops. The highest point is Mount Maromokotro (9,436ft) in the Tsaratanana Massif. There is a continuous line of lagoons from Foulpopinte to Farafangana. Madagascar has a mamade inland waterway (Pangalanes Canal). -Type of Government:Caretaker Government Currently in Power: President of the High Transitional Authority= Andry Rajoelina and the Prime Minister is Albert Camille Vital -Regoins/State Providences: Madagascar has six provinces which are subdivided into 22 regions. The regions are divided into 116 districts, 1548 communes, and 16969 fokontany. Madagascar Providences: Antananarivo (1: Analamanga, Bongolava, Itasy, Vakinankaratra), Antsiranana (2: Diana, Sava), Fianarantsoa (3: Amoroni'i Mania, Atsimo-Atsinanana, Haute-Matsiatra, Ihorombe, Vatovavy-Fitovinany), Mahajanga (4: Betsiboka, Boeny, Melaky, Sofia), Toamasina (5: Alaotra Mangoro, Analanjirofo, Atsinanana), Toliara (6: Androy, Anosy, Atsimo-Andrefana, Menabe)

-Major Lanuages: Malagasy, French, English -Population: approximately 20,653,556 -It is a LDC as can be seen by it's slow and steady growth path in things like technology and innovations and it's rapidly growing population.

__Biodiversity:__ -Climate: Eastern and Northwestern Coasts have constant winds from the southeasterly trade winds. They carry heavy rains from May to September. The Central Plateau and the wester Coast get monsoon winds which bring rain from October to April. The Southern Part receives little rain and is part semidesert. The Central Plateau has a tropical mountain climate with different seasons. On average, the coasts are hotter (21-27 degrees C) and werrer than the plateau (avg temp: 13-19 degrees C). There are occasional cyclones. The average rainfall is usually between 140cm-284cm. -Main Producers: Rainforest trees and phytoplankton surrounding the island -Types of Eaters: Herbivors= Greater Bamboo Lemur- eats bamboo, Desert Tortoise Carnivores=Eupleridae- related to the mongoose, Chameleon Omnivores: Aye-Aye-eat insects and fruit, bush pig Decomposers: hissing roach-eat leaves, termites (fungus growing) Scavengers: Madagascan giant hissing roach-eat fallen fruit -Food Web: -The whole island is considered a hotspot of biodiversity -Types of Species: Indicator Species= Butterflies have been suggested as particularly good environmental indicators due to their sensitivity to micro—climate and light level changes, and their interactions as larvae and adults with different sets of host plants Keystone Species= **Eulemur coronatus** Native Species= flying fox, fossa Nonnative Species=  Soaking crocodile, small indian civet Specialized Species= Bamboo lemur - Biomes it contains: mostly Tropical Rainforest, some deciduous forest, some desert -Types of Relationships: Interspecific Competition: trees compete for sunlight Predator and Prey: Fosa hunts lemurs Parasite and Host: hematozoan parasites in birds Mutualism: fungus-growing termites (Macrotermitinae) and their mutualistic fungi( Termitomyces ) Commensalism: Sea birds exhibit commensalism with a humpback whale (The humpback's range extends to off of the Madagascar coast) -Examples of Endangered Species: Indri, aye-aye -Why Endangered? : The primary threats to its existence are [|habitat destruction] and [|fragmentation] due to [|slash and burn] agriculture, fuelwood gathering, and logging, Habitat loss due to farming and logging  -Example of an Extinct Species: dodo -Why Extinct? : hunting and introduction of non-native species that hunted it down - Terrestrial Biomes it contains: mostly Tropical Rainforest, some deciduous forest, some desert -Aquatic Biomes it contains: surrounded by a Marine biome -Human Impacts: Big problem with forest destruction. Only 15% of forest left from 100 years ago. It's due to the demand for more farm land which loosens the soil and causing runoff pollution into the ocean. Other problems are hunting and poaching. These are causing the extinction and endangerment of many species who are being killed and are loosing their habitats. - 5 Extinct/Endangered/Threatened Species: [|**Aye-aye**],  [|**Diademed Sifaka**] , **Falanouc ** , **Fin Whale** , **Fossa ** **- ** Why? : The primary threats to its existence are [|habitat destruction] and [|fragmentation] due to [|slash and burn] agriculture, fuelwood gathering, and logging, Habitat loss due to farming and logging - 2 Introduced Species: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">tilapia, opuntia

__Human Population:__ -Rate of Growth: 2.8% -Doubling Time: 70/2.8= 25 years - World Average Doubling Time: 61 years - Birth Rate: 37.82 births/1,000 population -Death Rate: 9.79 deaths/1,000 population -Immigration Rate: .9% -Emigration Rate: .9% -Calculated Rate of Growth: 4.7% (2x #1) -Population Age Structure: (replacement fertility rate): Stage 1: Rapid Growth: Pre-Industrial Age Structure: 0-14 years: 43.1% (male 4762589/female 4693259) 15-64: 53.8% (male 5864520/female 5938029) 65 and over: 3% (male 295409/female 372415) - Family Planning: USAID -procure $500,000 in family planning commodities. Bring together faith-based groups, youth leaders, provincial governors, regional officers, provincial and district health officers, the Minister of Health and Family Planning, and six other ministers to educate the population. -Effectiveness: improves child health, increases contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR), and reduces food insecurity as means of reducing overall pressures on natural resources __Resource Management:__ __ - __ Top 3 Resources: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 115%;">graphite, coal, chromite <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 115%;">- #1 Export: Coffee - #1 Import: intermediate manufactures - Management and sustaining of Forests and Rangelands: Cutting live firewood forbidden, Burning and settling in forests forbidden, clearing land for agriculture forbidden, reforestation of fast growing species, hunting lemurs forbidden, forest fires and deforestation forbidden, logging concessions established, hunting of several species forbidden, repressive forest policy, mandatory reforestation, Integrated conservation  and development projects, fences and fines, decentralization of forest management, empowerment of local forest users to make decisions regarding forests (community based forest management),  <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">ANGAP (Association pour la Gestion des Aires Protégées) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">-National Parks: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">- Agriculture: Fishing and Forestry Crop protection from pests: (DuPont crop protection- use Avaunt insecticide) -Food sources are inadequate and not available for everyone -They obtain their water from a variety of sources including; pumps, wells, national parks, rivers, springs, streams - Most of the water is poor quality and needs to be treated before drinking