MADAGASCAR AND MOZAMBIQUE ARE 400 KILOMETRES APART

MADAGASCAR AND MOZAMBIQUE ARE 400 KILOMETERS APART

BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU..

PICTURED HERE IS THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN TANANARIVE,MADGASCAR

Madagascar is separated from the  mainland African continent by the Mozambique channel via the Indian Ocean by less than 400 kilometers at its narrowest parts as at 1972.

According to the Oxford African Encyclopaedia ,a copy of which is inside the Paedia Express Trust's library ,The News office Desk of the E.N.M.Paedia Express  Multimedia Group of Lagos,Nigeria now hears that the island nation is actually  the 4th biggest of its type worldwide.

Multiple literary sources stated that the Island got its first settlers in between the 8th and the 11th century with the powerful Merina dynasty established around  the present day ,Tananarive.

Tananarive also known as Antananarivo is the capital city of the Island nation and has such basic infrastructures  in a 21 st century city as a railway, port facilities ,airport, university and an agricultural college.

This reporter was reliably informed from sources that the island  nation had a lot of kings and Queens from the Monarchy systems that it practiced before France invaded her as a its colonial masters with Queen Ranavalona ,the 1st said to have been the most powerful of all her monarchs despite her been a woman.

Analysts had said of Ranavalona,the 1st:"Never would there be another Malagasy sovereign so absolute in authority ,so firm in decision ,so rigorous in principles "she was said to have ruled with iron fisted discipline for 33 years.

Economic and educational progress were made during the long term ,French colonial rule but fierce opposition to colonial control  continued for about a century.

 A secret society called V.V.S. [Vys ,Vato,Sakelika]which means courage ,strength and solidarity was established with nationalist newspapers demanding more influence and freedom for local people .

In 1947,there was a rebellion which was violently suppressed by the French but in the 1950s,local government assemblies of Malagasy representatives were set up and the nation became fully independent in 1960.

Philibert Tsiranana became its first President  but his government was replaced in 1972 by the government of General Ramantsoa by a popular vote in a national referendum.