Madagascar trivia: 47 questions and answers

Antananarivo. Antananarivo, in the central highlands, is the capital and by far the largest city. Toamasina and Mahajanga are the main ports, and Antsirabe is a highland city to the south.

Fourth largest. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.

Malagasy ariary. The currency is the Malagasy ariary (MGA), which replaced the Malagasy franc as the official currency in 2005.

False. False. Like France and most of French-speaking Africa, Madagascar drives on the right.

Maromokotro. Maromokotro, 2,876 m, in the Tsaratanana Massif in the north, is the highest point. Pic Boby (2,658 m) in the Andringitra Massif and Tsiafajavona (2,643 m) in the Ankaratra Massif come next.

1960. Madagascar became fully independent on 26 June 1960. In 1958 it had become a self-governing republic within the French Community, and 1947 was the year of the great uprising.

Ranavalona III. Queen Ranavalona III was sent into exile by the French in February 1897, and the monarchy was abolished the next day.

France. France conquered Madagascar in 1895 and declared it a colony in 1896. Britain had earlier recognised Radama I as King of Madagascar.

False. False. Ranavalona I banned Christianity. It was Queen Ranavalona II who was baptised and made it the state religion in 1869.

Britain. Britain recognised Radama as King of Madagascar in 1817, in return for his promise to give up the export of slaves.

Rice. Rice (vary) is eaten at almost every meal; the Malagasy phrase for eating a meal literally means 'to eat rice'.

Romazava. Romazava, a broth of zebu beef and leafy greens eaten with rice, is the national dish. Mi sao are fried noodles, koba is a peanut sweet and kaka pizon is a crunchy snack.

A drink made by pouring hot water over the rice crust in the pot. Ranon'apango is a drink made by pouring hot water over the rice crust in the pot. It tastes toasted and, having been boiled, is safer than tap water.

The dish of meat, fish, beans or greens eaten with the rice. The laoka is the dish of meat, fish, beans or greens eaten with the rice, usually in a light sauce.

True. True. Chinese workers came in large numbers around 1900 to build the railway to the east coast, and brought fried noodles (mi sao), noodle soup and fried rice.

False. False. Kaka pizon are crunchy strings of fried dough sold as a snack. The peanut sweet in banana leaves is koba.

They make the tongue tingle and feel slightly numb. They make the tongue tingle and feel slightly numb. This effect of brèdes mafana (paracress) gives romazava its special character.

Toamasina. Toamasina, on the east coast, is the country's chief port. Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa and Ranohira are all inland.

Antsiranana. Antsiranana was called Diego-Suarez until 1975. Mahajanga was Majunga, Toliara was Tuléar and Taolagnaro is also known as Fort-Dauphin.

Nosy Be. Andoany (Hell-Ville) is the main town of Nosy Be, the resort island off the northwest coast.

Morondava. The Avenue of the Baobabs lines a dirt road just north of Morondava, on the west coast.

Razor-sharp limestone pinnacles. The tsingy are razor-sharp limestone pinnacles, crossed on rope bridges; the word means 'where one cannot walk barefoot'.

False. False. The Rova was about to be listed when fire destroyed it in 1995. Madagascar's UNESCO sites are Ambohimanga, the Tsingy de Bemaraha (now the Andrefana Dry Forests) and the Rainforests of the Atsinanana.

True. True. The walled royal village near Antananarivo was listed in 2001 as a site of great cultural and spiritual importance.

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, in the eastern rainforest, is the easiest place to hear the indri. The other places lie in the drier west and south, where indri do not live.

Île Sainte-Marie. Île Sainte-Marie (Nosy Boraha), off the east coast, was a pirate base in the late 1600s and 1700s. Nosy Be and Nosy Komba lie off the northwest coast, and Nosy Lonjo is in the bay of Antsiranana.

Hot water. Ranomafana means 'hot water', after the hot springs of the nearby village. 'Mother of the forest' is renala, the baobab; 'place of much salt' is Antsirabe; and 'long coast' is Morondava.

103. 103 of the 107 lemur species were threatened with extinction, and 33 were Critically Endangered, mainly because of forest loss and hunting.

Aye-aye. The aye-aye taps on trunks, listens for hollows, gnaws a hole and fishes out grubs with its thin middle finger.

True. True. In 2023 Madagascar grew 42 percent of the world's raw vanilla, ahead of Indonesia.

Six. Six of the eight species grow only in Madagascar. One is native to mainland Africa and Arabia, and one to Australia.

Borneo. Malagasy is closest to Ma'anyan, spoken along the Barito River in southern Borneo, about 7,300 km away.

False. False. One ariary is five iraimbilanja, which makes it one of only two currencies not divided into tenths or hundredths. In practice the iraimbilanja is no longer used.

A 'turning of the bones' ceremony for the ancestors. A famadihana is a 'turning of the bones' ceremony for the ancestors: families rewrap their remains in fresh cloth and dance with them, usually every five to seven years.

City of the Thousand. Antananarivo means 'City of the Thousand', after the thousand soldiers King Andrianjaka is said to have posted on the hill.

Misaotra. Misaotra means thank you. Veloma is goodbye, salama is hello and azafady means please or excuse me.

Island. Nosy means island, so Nosy Be means 'big island'.

A taboo, something forbidden by custom. A fady is a taboo, something forbidden by custom. Fady differ between regions and families and are linked to respect for the ancestors.

True. True. Arivo means a thousand, and Antananarivo means 'City of the Thousand'.

Veloma!. Veloma means goodbye. Tonga soa means welcome, salama is hello and tsara be means very well.

Please, excuse me. Azafady means please, excuse me. It is used when asking for something or to get someone's attention.

False. False. 'Matsiro be!' means 'It's delicious!'. 'Too expensive!' is 'Lafo loatra!'.

The water has been boiled. The water has been boiled in the rice pot, so it is safer than tap water, which visitors should not drink.

May to October. The dry season runs from about May to October. The rainy season, from about November to April, can bring cyclones and flooded roads.

True. True. A local guide is required in both parts of the park, and guides know where to find the indri and other lemurs.

False. False. Tombs are sacred places linked to the ancestors. Never photograph one without permission, and ask before photographing people.

Tompoko. Tompoko (TOOM-pook) is added as a polite 'sir' or 'madam'. Veloma means goodbye, vazaha means foreigner and tsara means good.