8th Continent

morondava, originally uploaded by stephaneu_06.

Peter Tyson coined this nickname for Madagascar in the title of his ecologically-oriented book. The enormous number of species endemic to Madagascar draw biologists from around the world. Many distinct varieties of flowering plants, lemurs and chameleons of any color can be found only here. These species survive on Madagascar because of its isolation from other continents.

The central highlands and plateau divide the narrow island's East and West regions. Tropical forests are found mostly along the East coast while the West remains drier. This topography prevents plants and animals from inhabiting the whole of the island.

Geologists speculate that Madagascar is one of the oldest islands (having been separated from Africa for some 88 million years). That long period of time has allowed the fauna plenty of time to adapt to the special circumstances of their environment. It is also long enough that evidence of prehistoric creatures such as the Elephant Bird.

The Malagasy people have as fascinating story as their non-human neighbors. The island was settled between 1,800 and 1,500 years ago by Austronesian explorers from Indonesian islands. Sturdy boats and fast currents brought the Austronesian people from their home waters to places as far flung as Easter Island. Around the same time settlers from mainland Africa first discovered it.

The trees pictured above are known as Baobabs, and yes, this variety is found only on Madagascar. You can see them in the daylight and at sunset.