The Deep South part of Madagascar

Is the land of spiny bushes, goats and zebus ; a lot of zebus ; but also the land of drought. The only region of Madagascar where people don't grow rice ( because of the lack of rain and limestone ground or sandy ground ). But it's the first region of Madagascar which produces manioc, sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts and beans.

In the Deep South part of Madagascar

You will be in contact with Vezo, Antandroy and Mahafale people.

Vezo people are fishermen.

Antandroy people are pastors ( they breed zebus & oxes ).

And Mahafale people and Antanosy people grow crops.

Madagascar deep south area Ravo 2011 pictures ©

The vegetation Includes Euphorbiaceae, Liliaceae ( such as aloes ), Apocynaceae ( such as bottle-trees ) and Didieraceae ( all endemic ). Most of plants in this region are endemic and it's the part of Madagascar where the rain is the lowest : from 600 mm/year to ... 300 mm / year. To compare it, the part of Madagascar with the highest rain is the North East region, with 3500 mm / year. Everyday, it rains there. But here, it's the land of zebus and spiny plants.

Zebu civilization in the South of Madagascar :

Zebus are the most important things for the Antandroy people. They are not sacred but Antandroy people don't hesitate to leave their villages to go to grassy ground even if they have comfortable huts, crops fields and water.

Antandroy people know their zebus very well. And the cattle give them happiness , the cattle are the most important wealth for them. They can give them a beautiful burial. So, to steal cattle of other people is a sign of bravery but not a sin for them. And more you have zebus, more the society respects you and gives you honor even if you steal cattle of others. As I told you, you can see Zebu Market every Monday in Ambovombe Androy.

The spiny land in the South of Madagascar :

The roy [ ruï ] is a spiny plant in the South ; So, Androy [ Andzuï ] means in the country of spiny plants & Antandroy [ Antandzuï ] means the people who live there.

For example, there are a lot of cactus there. People use them to fence their territories. During the pacification in the colonization, the french soldiers were terrified by these plants ( from 1899 to 1904 ). The Compte de Modave has introduced the cactus in the South part of Madagascar in 1770. And these plants have covered all the region. It's a 5m high plant, with yellow flowers and green or purple fruits ( you can eat them ).

People have eaten a lot of cactus fruits during the big drought ( Kere ) in 1991, because after eating them, you are able to not drink for few days. So the lack of water is not a problem for you even if the weather is very hot. The cactus leaves are used to feed zebus and other animals ( goats, sheeps, tortoises ).

Naturalists will like this Park because of its particular forest ecosystem. Andohahela National Park is divided in 3 areas :

• First, the East area in the Anosyenne mountain chain with its evergreen humid forest because of much rains.

• Second, the West semi-arid part with just 600 to 800 mm of rain per year, so a spiny and succulent vegetation such as Pachypodium, Euphorbia plants and Aloe sp.

• And third, an intermediary zone between these two different climates with the famous endemic and decorative Triangle palm ( Dypsis decaryi ).

Anosy mountainous chain divides Andohahela National Park in 2 areas : the East region and the West ones. This chain stops the wind from the Indian Ocean, so it stops most of rain, it's the reason why the West part is semi-arid. You can visit Andohahela on foot or by mountain-bike ( you can rent it in Fort Dauphin ), and during the day or the night to try to find lemurs such as Sifaka, Ringtailed lemur or Mouse lemur.

Andohahela National Park ( 76 020 ha ) lies near Fort Dauphin ( a small town in the deep South part of Madagascar ), between 90 and 1972 m of altitude. People in the whole region get water from this Park, and use it to water their fields and ricefields.

About Andohahela flora, you can find an uncommon and unique palm tree, a palm tree that you found nowhere else on earth, the Dypsis decaryi. You can find too other amazing medicinal plants such as the Vanilla madagascariensis ( Vahinamalo : not perfumed but men use it like local viagra ), the Cedrelopsis greveii ( Katrafay : when you have diarrhoea ), the Uncarina grandidieri ( Farehitra : when you lost hair ), the Cyphostemma laza ( Laza : mediums use it for its magic power ), the Diospyros sp. ( Maintifo : sculptors and carpenters like this tree very much )