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Majunga : history and traditions by Hotel ★★★ Gourmet restaurant Coco Lodge Majunga.

The Mahajanga name would mean "that heals.". Tradition says in effect that a King who was looking for a cure to heal his son toured the island and, upon arrival at Mijangaia ("city of flowers"., its former name), declared : Maha, janga tanana ity ity, and that name would have remained. Another version would that the city takes its name of a flower, the angaya, brought by the Arabs in the fifteenth century.

Since prehistoric times the region is probably inhabited. The discovery of traces of cuts on the bones of a species of dwarf hippopotamus disappeared was made in the huge Anjohibe cave located at 30 km Northeast of Mahajanga, in the vicinity of the Mahajamba. Radiocarbon dating brought back those bones to about 2000 years before our era. This discovery pushes the date of arrival of the first human populations in Madagascar of 1500 years. These two neighbouring bays of the Betsiboka and the Mahajamba lie at the crossroads of two likely routes of human settlement, a through the Comoros for an African origin, the other way across the island by the Northeast since Antongila for an Asian origin.

The city of Mahajanga seems to have been founded in the 14th century or 15th century by the Antalaotra, or Antalaotse, browsers and African Arab fishermen Métis population, Venus in long canoes of the Gulf of Oman via Zanzibar and the Comoros, According to the annual plan of the monsoons of the Indian ocean.

After the Organization of clans of West Coast Malagasy kingdoms, the city was the capital of the Kingdom Sakalava from Boina. The city has experienced in the eighteenth century a certain prosperity as a warehouse for riches of the coast of Africa to the India destination. Implantation of a large Indian community is established at this time (6000 families reported by Dumaine to “Mouzangaie” en 1792).

Andriamisara Efadahy Kings were the last sovereigns before the conquest by Radama I^ER, l King’Imerina, and the establishment of the Kingdom of Madagascar en 1823.

The conquest of the Kingdom Sakalave by the Merina Kingdom in 1824 marks a break in ties with the North of the island, but does not harm the prosperity of the city ; the Americans opened a trading desk in 1830. The opening of Mahajanga on sea lanes of communication, its anchor so favorable to the tall ships and his familiarity with neighboring civilizations make it a target for the colonial powers : It is indeed in Mahajanga that disembark french expeditionary forces, first in 1882-1883, then in 1895–1896, (15 000 embedded fighters on a few 23 ships), engaged in the conquest of the island of Madagascar. En 1903, the Census population was 7908 inhabitants (among which 646 Indian). The development of the city was very quick after the French occupation, to the pace of colonization, with many accomplishments (Docks said ' Barriquand’ of the commercial port, road to Antananarivo, Hospital Androva, etc.) In return, local resources, including agricultural, will be exploited intensely : From WWI Boanamary refrigeration plant upstream on the beaches, has served to supply the French armies by concentrating the ZeBu from the West. Will follow, on the model of economy with land attributed arbitrarily to dealers companies, tobacco, cotton, the favored rice in the hinterland by extensive irrigation projects (Marovoay, Ambatoboeny) that will make the city and its port until 1970. Less well known, the city – point of arrival of the contingent English sent to hunt the Vichy in September 1942 – has also served as a rear base for the RAF for the blockade of white Rhodesia in the late 1960.

In may 1976, serious incidents have opposed the local population to immigrants of grand-Comoros origin, leading the massive repatriation of these. Aerial rotations to Moroni, by a plane leased to the Belgium, the number of 50, started as early as January 1977 and will transport about 9000 people – where the name of “SABENAs” given a time to this community of artisans and merchants who is is re-established by more smoothly.

The city remains a relay important for monitoring of the Mozambique Channel : a listening U.S. Government radio station is located in Belobaka, to 20 km of the city.

In the recent history of Madagascar, Mahajanga does not play a leading role (the third visit of a head of State french in Madagascar, Jacques Chirac in July 2005, has however begun by this city).

by Hôtel★★★ Restaurant gourmand Coco Lodge Majunga.

http://www.reservation-hotelcocolodge.com/