Morondava

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Morondava
Map of Toliara Province showing the location of Morondava (red).
Map of Toliara Province showing the location of Morondava (red).
Country Madagascar
Province Toliara

Morondava is a city located in the province of Toliara and the Region of Menabe, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at 20°17′5″S, 44°19′3″ECoordinates: 20°17′5″S, 44°19′3″E.

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[edit] Communication

Air Madagascar has regular scheduled flights to Morondava Airport. The main road to the town, and indeed the roads in the town itself, are severely eroded with less than 30% of the the original tarmac left in most places. Overland transport is therefore very slow and difficult, especially in the rainy season. Pirogues are consequently a popular mode of transport used to ferry people and goods up and down the coast, especially to Morombe.

[edit] Ecology

The city is famous amongst other things for the spectacular Avenue of Baobabs nearby at 20°15′04″S 44°25′06″E / -20.251000, 44.418403 (Avenue of Baobabs). These giant baobab trees are an 800 year old legacy of the dense tropical forests that once thrived here. Over the years, as the country's population grew, the forests were slowly but surely cut down, leaving only the baobab trees, which the locals preserved for religious reasons. Today, deforestation still continues as large areas of this region, including some of few remaining baobabs, are still being cleared to make way for sugar cane plantations.

The Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located 150km north of Morondava, but due to the poor condition of the roads, can take considerable time to reach.

Kirindi Forest at 20°04′12″S 44°36′07″E / -20.070000, 44.601944 (Kirindy Forest) is a nature reserve about 60km from Morondava where many of the local species of lemurs as well as other plants and animals can be experienced during a day trip.

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