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Radama II |
| The history of Madagascar begins only at the 15th century, when the Portuguese captain Diego Diaz discovered it. Of course, the Island has history before this century but it hasn't been written because people who lived there at this time didn't know writing yet. So the history begins at the 15th century, but this date symbolized also the "presentation" of the island to the European world. |
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Madagascar and European in the past When, the European knew Madagascar, it became the crossroads of the Spanish, Portuguese and Arab navigators. European tried to settle down in the island during the 17th century. In the 1638 the Dutch and the British were in the east coast of the country but many of them dead of starving and fighting against the Indigenous: they left the island in 1640. In1642-43 the French controlled the South and the East coast of Madagascar: They founded the town "Fort-Dauphin", in the South, but relationship between French and Malagasy became worst and worst so the French left the island for seven years. There wasn't European anymore in the Island since 1650 but from1684 to 1724, it became the repair of pirates. The descending of the pirates founded a kingdom the "Betsimisaraka", which is now recognized as an ethnic group. In 1810, the European came again to the Island and the Queen Ranavalona I will dismiss them of the country. But her son Radama II will let them come again. The European, essentially the French, controlled more and more part of the Island and in 1896 Madagascar became a French colony. |