Madagascar-+Hunter





__Population Data:__

Total Population- 24,894,551 CBR- 32.1 CDR- 6.7 NIR- 25.4 IMR- 42.4 TFR- 4.1 Life Expectancy: 65.9 years

Currently Madagascar best fits into stage 2 as the population is very young with a very high birth rate. In 2050 Madagascar is projected to progress into a stage 3 as the population becomes more middle-aged.

In an article posted on the CIA official website, it talks about the population of Madagascar being young with the fertility rate being very high at over 4. The population is predominantly poor and suffer from malnutrition. Young marriage is also very common in Madagascar which leads to a high rate of infants and mothers dying during birth. More than a third of women here give birth before the age of 18. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ma.html

Why do you think the infant mortality rate is so high?

Folk Culture in Madagascar []

One of the central beliefs in Malagasy culture is the belief of the power of dead ancestors. This is important to know when focusing on a customary burial ritual in Malagasy culture. It is known as the “famadihana” or “turning of the bones”. In this practice, familes remove the remains of a buried loved one seven years after death. They rewrap the remains and celebrate their life, and the celebrations can last up to a week.

The photo pictured above is taken from a Famadihana festival in Madagascar

What are your thoughts on the Famadihana ritual? How is it different from burial customs in other cultures like the US?

Chapter 6: Religion

Many people in Madagascar have their own traditional religions that only exist in Madagascar. The basic principle for this native religion is the close connection between the living and the dead. They believe in one supreme god commonly known as Zanahary or Andriamanitra. They also believe that the dead can effect the living for better or worse depending on their actions. Historically, the religion remains largely unchanged and uninfluenced by other cultures or religions. While there are Christians, both catholic and protestant, present in Madagascar as a result of colonization and European influence, the majority is still unchanged. Similarly, since it is exclusive to the island of Madagascar it has not spread to other countries or regions. In the 19th century, there was a conflict between Christianity and traditional religious beliefs.Queen Ranavalona I expelled foreign missionaries and persecuted Christians, putting many of them to death. However, Ranavalona II reversed this and Protestantism became the religion of the holy family. However the two religions eventually coexisted with the traditional religion being slightly more prominent.

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/overview/loc/28-beliefs.html

How do you think traditional religions can coexist with more widespread religions?