Ilakaka
Encyclopedia
Ihorombe
Ihorombe is a region in Madagascar. It borders Haute Matsiatra region in north, Atsimo-Atsinanana in east, Anosy in south and Atsimo-Andrefana in west. The capital is Ihosy and the population was estimated to be 189,200 in 2004...
Region in the south western part of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. In the early 1990s there were only about 40 residents in the area. However, since the discovery of world class alluvial sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
deposits in the valley in 1998 the population had boomed to near 60,000 by 2005. Since high profits are easily made, violence is common in the town.
Geography
Ilakaka is in Ihosy DistrictIhosy District
Ihosy is a district in south-eastern Madagascar. It's a part of Ihorombe Region and borders the districts of Ikalamavony in north, Ambalavao in northeast, Ivohibe in east, Iakora in southeast, Betroka in south, Benenitra in southwest, Sakaraha and Ankazoabo Sud in west and Beroraha in northwest...
, Ihorombe
Ihorombe
Ihorombe is a region in Madagascar. It borders Haute Matsiatra region in north, Atsimo-Atsinanana in east, Anosy in south and Atsimo-Andrefana in west. The capital is Ihosy and the population was estimated to be 189,200 in 2004...
Region, 735 km south of Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, near Isalo National Park
Isalo National Park
Isalo National Park is a National Park in the Ihorombe Region of Madagascar. The park is known for its wide variety of terrain, including sandstone formations, deep canyons, palm-lined oases, and grassland. The closest town is Ranohira, and the closest city is Toliara. A local guide is required...
.
It is found along the route to Toliara
Toliara
-References:...
in southwestern Madagascar.
History
In 1998, after the discovery of an important sapphireSapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, what was once a quiet rural village has been transformed into a Wild West town, a victim of "Sapphire fever," with thousands of arrivals hoping to stake a claim, complete with bars, brothels, and scores to settle.
The fever has overrun the entire country and every day hundreds of people flow in from throughout the region.
Demography
The village has exploded with the incessant influx.As of 2008 the population was about 30,000 according to local authorities, but the number is highly approximate given the incessant turnover. All 18 ethnic groups of Madagascar are represented.
Administration
Ilakaka belongs to the district of IhosyIhosy
Ihosy is a city in Ihorombe Region in central south Madagascar.Ihosy is the capital of Ihorombe Region.It is located on the Ihosy River and home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ihosy....
, in the region of Ihorombe
Ihorombe
Ihorombe is a region in Madagascar. It borders Haute Matsiatra region in north, Atsimo-Atsinanana in east, Anosy in south and Atsimo-Andrefana in west. The capital is Ihosy and the population was estimated to be 189,200 in 2004...
, in the province of Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa is a city in south central Madagascar.Fianarantsoa is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region. It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms....
.
Economy
SapphireSapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
is mined by the very poor, usually in father-son teams, who hope to become rich.
Environment and Infrastructure
Unofficial plots are pitted with wells, into which the miners descend at the risk of their lives to find a seam. The landscape has been remade by such operations.The sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
shacks where the miners cram themselves have neither running water
Running Water
Running Water may be:* Running Water, Tennessee, former name of Whiteside, Tennessee* Running Water, South Dakota, a community in Bon Homme County, South Dakota* "Running Water" from the 1983 album The Present...
nor electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, and there are very few paved roads.
The area is spotted with giant baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
s.
External links
- Sapphire Rush Tour - Precious Stones Adventure in Ilakaka.
- Close-up satellite map of Ilakaka.