Marojejy National Park, Madagascar, The People

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Marojejy National Park, Madagascar, The People
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The People
The rugged and isolated area around Marojejy was first permanently settled by people fleeing the Merina Kingdom on Madagascar’s eastern coast in the mid-1800s. Later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, they were followed by others escaping the control of the French Colonists. The introduction of vanilla into the area after the First World War sparked another small wave of immigration; however, access into this remote country was extremely difficult, and the population remained relatively low.

In the 1960s, the road linking Andapa with Sambava was built. Improved access and the accompanying agricultural development in the Andapa Basin brought in many more settlers. Now, the area shows very high population densities, particularly in the Andapa Basin, but also throughout the adjacent valleys. Thirty-seven villages are located within the zone immediately peripheral to Marojejy National Park. Dominant tribes in the region are the Tsimihety and the Betsimisaraka, but many other ethnic groups, including some from the far south of Madagascar, have also become established here.

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