Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/952

 830 FRANCE : — MADAGASCAR

MADAGASCAR.

Government.

The last native sovereign of Madagascar, Ranavalona III. (born 1861), succeeded in 1883. The French having claimed a portion of the north-west coast as ceded to them by local chiefs, hostilities were carried on in 1882-84 against the Hovas, who refused to recognise the cession. In 1885 peace was made, Diego Suai'ez being surrendered to France. A French Resident- General Avas received at the capital, and the foreign relations of the country were claimed to be regulated by France. By the Anglo-French agreement of Augusts, 1890, the protectorate of France over Madagascar was recognisrd by Great Britain ; but the Native Government steadily refused to recognise any protectorate. In May, 1895, a French expedition was despatched to enforce the claims of France, and on October 1, the capital having been occupied, a treaty was signed whereby the Queen recognised and accepted the protectorate, By a unilateral convention made in January, 1896, Madagascar became a French possession, and by law promulgated August 6, 1896, the island and its dependencies were declared a French colony.

On February 27, 1897, the Queen was deposed by the Resident-General, and on March 11 she and her family were deported to the island of Reunion ; whence, in March, 1899, she was transferred to Algiers.

Governor- Grcneral. — M. Albert Picquie (1910).

A Consultative Council of Administration has been established at Antananarivo. The Colony is not represented in the French Parliament, nor has it any elective assembly. The island is partly under civil and partly under military administration. In 19 provinces or districts there are civil administrators ; in 5 military territories or circles military officers direct affairs. The administrative system is based on the autonomy of the different races. The administrators appoint as local governors and chiefs of districts usually those who have been chosen by popular vote. Natives are employed to a large extent in subordinate positions both in the civil and military adminis- tration.

Area and Population.

Madagascar is situated on the south-eastern side of Africa, from which it is separated by the Mozambique Channel, the least distance between island and continent being 240 miles ; greatest length, 980 miles ; greatest breadth, 360 miles. The area is estimated at 228,000 square miles. The census of June 1, 1911, .showed a population of 3,104,881, of whom 9,919 were French, 2,201 were of other European birth, 5,663 were Asiatic, 14,717 were African, and 3,072,381 were Malagasy (1,301,71 B male and 1,388,665 female). For 1908 the movement of population is given as : Civil European and mixed population, births 481, deaths 511, marriages 85, divorces 4; natives, births 68,862, deaths 81,778. The Malagasy races or tribes are very numerous, the more important being the Hova (847,480), the Betsileo (408,024), the Betsimisdraka (288,159), the Tanala (156,720), the Sakalava (155,126), and the Bara (140,450). Hindu, Chinese, Arabs, and other Asiatics carry on small retail trade. The most intelligent and enterprising tribe is the Hova, whose language, allied to the Malayan and Oceanic tongues, is understood over a large part of the island. . The people are divided into a great many clans, who seldom inter- marry. The slave trade was nominally abolished in 1877 ; slavery in Imerina and in all parts under French authority was abolished by proclama-