The climate varies throughout the geological regions of Madagascar. The climate of the country is dominated by the Southeastern trade winds that originate in the Indian Ocean. Where the land is most directly exposed to the winds is where there is the most rainfall. There is a great variation in climate owing to elevation and the position relative to the dominate winds. The west coast is drier than the east coast and the central highlands because the trade winds lose their humidity by the time they reach the west coast. Also, the Central Highlands are drier and cooler because of the altitude. Although the weather is mainly tropical along the coast, there are two seasons. The first season is a hot, rainy season from November to April. The second season is a cooler, dry season from May to October. During the dry season, its pleasant and sunny, chilly in the morning. The blue skies of the Central Highlands around Antananarivo are considered by many to be the clearest and most beautiful in the world during the dry season too. In the rainy season of Madagascar, they suffer the impact of cyclones from time to time.
In Madagascar, there are many natural resources. The produce graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, and tar sands. They are also known for having semiprecious stones, mica, fishing, and hydro power. About ten percent of the Madagascan population is nomadic, which means that they are descents of nomads. So many will move around to find more natural resources to use for supplies. Some of the agriculture products that are produced are coffee beans, vanilla, sugarcane, coca, cassava (tapioca) beans, and livestock products. The most dominant crop that is grown is rice. The production of rice rapidly grew in urban areas then declined from 16 or 17 percent of the total crop in the early 1970s to about 11 or 12 percent during the latter part of the decade. The major industry products were soap, sugar, textiles, glassware, paper, petroleum, and meat processing. The meat processing business is lacking because livestock production is limited in part because of traditional patterns of livestock ownership that have hampered commercialization. The export of beef decreased also because of the poor economic situation of the government. Also, wood and charcoal from the forests are used to create 80 percent of the domestic fuel needs. Madagascar is not just the beautiful beaches and blue skies. There are five regions, there is the east coast, the Tsaratana Massif, central highlands, the west coast, and the southwest. There are five volcanoes on the island. No eruptions have been recorded in recent years for any of the volcanoes. Land from round and eroded hills, massive granite outcrops, extinct volcanoes, eroded peneplains, and alluvial plains and marshes have been converted into irrigated rice fields that are used. There are deep bays and well-protected harbors that have attracted explorers, traders, and pirates from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East dating back to ancient times. The country has been called the "Great Red Island" because of the supposed preponderance of red lateritic soils. |
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