Ambemarivo

Ambemarivo (암베마리뿌 ), known officially as the People's Federation of Ambemarivo (빠화이움방인이 암베마리뿌 Vahoa-iomban̈iny Ambemarivo; pronounced: ; : 譾溪人民聯邦), is an in the Western Ocean, approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) off the coast of East Matobo. Ambemarivo is a ; over ninety percent of its wildlife is found nowhere else in Tiandi. The island's diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by the encroachment of the rapidly growing human population and other environmental threats.

The archaeological evidence of the may date up to 10,000 years ago. Human settlement of Ambemaribu occurred between 350 BC and 550 CE by, arriving on from Thrumbo. These were then joined around the 9th century by Tsongtikese and Matobwe migrants crossing the Matobwe Channel. Other Vanhu and Haegyean groups continued to settle on Ambemarivo over time, each one making lasting contributions to Ambemarivese cultural life and eventually being assimilated to the more dominant Haegyean tribes. Matobwe monotheism also manifested itself in the adoration of Zanahary (創造者的萬事; "The All-Creator"). The are divided into twenty sub-groups, each of which belong to either the "highlander" (高地人 havoan-olona) or the "coastal" (海岸人 tazoan'ny olona) category.

Until mid-11th century, the island of Ambemarivo composed of an assortment of shifting sociopolitical agreements between or. After a dispute with his clan, noble Andriantsimitoviaminiombiasiana Sitraka proclaimed himself Mpanjaka (獨君主 "The Sovereign One") and subjugated his village range with an army in 1072. He founded the Kingdom of Ombiasy with modern-day Ankabary as his capital. He began annexing lands west and north; whenever he would defeat a or kingdom, he essentially disturbed the previous leadership's  (their sacred status of authority) by appointing his own dynastic governor instead. In expectation of his return to the central highland, the remainder eastern and south peoples quickly assembled into three alliances behind three major kingdoms: Iankazobe, Vatotsikoa, and Zafiboina. By the mid-12th century, only the Vatotsikoa kingdom had endured the Ombiasy's onslaught, mostly due to its employing of yeBondo mercenaries. The Ombiasy kingdom sufferred from internal strife later that century, which concluded with Governor Andriarialifitojohery (of ) usurping the Ombiasy throne, proclaiming the Mpanekena Kingdom, and reinitiating the conquest of Vatotsikoa. In 1228 CE, the last Vatotsikoa town was subdued and the country was formally unified.

The mid-to-late 13th century saw various reforms in governance, including more executive powers to regional governors and the founding of the Ny Famotopotorana (literally "The Inquisition"; 调查衛), a royal tasked with surveying  and authorized to overrule judicial proceedings in the face of. This force subsequently effected peace unto the island, thwarting a total of thirteen conspirations against the kingdom in its lifetime. The Kingdom was thence better capable of organizing its economic activities, and negotiated long-term beneficial trade routes with settlements in Matobo, Tsongtiko, northern, and (in its late years) also Malu'i. Starting in the late 15th century, many trade routes to Ambemarivo were discontinued and Ambemarivese commerce was crippled, as Vạn Xuân influence spread southwards and resulted in the sealing of better deals with Southern Jungju. The incremental hoarding of resources in Vạn Xuân (among other Sinjunese ) translated in a cycle of dependence for Ambemarivo, where formerly accessible goods were now sold back to the Kingdom at.

Despite the severe financial losses, significant advancements were brought to Ambemarivo due to prolonged contact with Sinju. In 1506, the Sangha of Ambemarivo was founded in Antalaha for the promotion of, and the and way of life. The Ambemarivese language, formerly an unwritten language, first adopted in 1513 by decree of Queen Tsiomekovonjisoa II, who along with Monk Phạm Thanh Hưng authored the Hova Dictionary the next year. Most importantly, Emperor Trần Nghệ Tông struck a deal with the Queen Tsiomekovonjisoa II that permitted free entry to Sinjunese settlers, provided they pay taxes to the Ambemarivese state. Among the consequent influx of settlers were also emigrants from Meull, Mincang, and Jupon, who inevitably disturbed the Kingdom's of  ("nobles"),  ("commoners"), and  ("slaves"). The vazaha ("foreigners") quickly climbed up the (essentially equating the andriana and becoming state advisors), to the extent that Ambemarivo was widely considered a "veiled " in the Sinjunese world.

In the beginning of the 18th century, an from Fusen presented an ultimatum to the Kingdom, to concede its throne to the imperially appointed  Okazaki Itsurō, or face a. This sparked the Khê Nông Resistance, in which the Ambemarivese joined forces with the vazaha and clashed against the Fusenese. It concluded in 1712, with the encriclement of the royal palace leading to surrender. Fusen was primarily interested in the island's abundance of and, from which further  for the Empire could be produced. As such, non-Fusenese vazaha were deliberately reduced to the status of hova. However, when a large was discovered within the Antrematsingy  in 1784, two years after Jeongmi had secured control over Namju, competition between the two powers was reignited. Ambemarivo was conceded to Jeongmi in the aftermath of the Boshin War of 1794, and then transferred as a to the Namju Confederation in 1811.

The  Park Jong-il oversaw the development of the island in its early provincial years, and used it as a pedestal in with the Zadwabi Empire in the Treaty of Vohimarina. He also ordered the construction of the Gimpo Canal (nowadays Volamendrenirano), which facilitated trade with mainland Namju and ensured exported resources would reach Namjan-Jeongmian outposts first. Due to Namju's auxiliary role in the industrialization of Sinju, many indigenous Ambemarivese were relocated to work in Namjan plantations (read more: Ethnicity in Namju). During the Eulhae War, Matobo launched a campaign to liberate Ambemarivo, which was well-received by the locals, but met with Allied resistance. Both the campaign and its resistance were thwarted by an unprecedented Hachuabshi invasion and subsequent Dead Road Uprising (a ) in 1939, which ensured the island would achieve independence by 1941 under terms. The island was ultimately released from Hachuabshi oversight in 1951, when the Workers' Party Hachuabsh ruled unanimously that stability was brought to Ambemarivo.

Ever since, Ambemarivo is considered a by outside observers, through being a stronghold of socialist thought in Miju and depending on other members of OSDMA for commerce and equipment. It is also a member of the Congress of Nations, the International Communalist Forum, and the All-Miju Conference. The country is a of twenty-eight  provinces (省邦 faritany), which are further divided into districts (郡 koan̈) and communes (市鎮 ty-drany). Ambemarivo is also known for its unique cabinet, elected by the  : Fari-kidinike. On 18 August 2005, Supreme Consul Ravorombato Felamanitra announced a Solidarity Plan between Hokan, Yahuimilco, and Hachuabsh, permitting travel to Ambemarivo without the issuing of a, and work in Ambemarivo without the issuing of a , effective for all citizens of the countries concerned.

Etymology
In the, the island's appellation Ambemarivo ( Ambemaribese pronunciation: ) literally means "at the expansion of a shallow" or "a place of shallow waters", and its people are referred to as , a of Ambemarivo and olona (人 "person; individual"). A popular legend asserts the name Ambemarivo was first coined by King Fenoarivosata IV during his speech of agreement to an alliance with the Zafiboina Kingdom in the 1130s, and adopted by Governor Andriarialifitojohery at the island's unification, but this is nowadays disputed by the scientific community. It is likely that the name prevailed independently during that period or that the town Miarinarivo northeast of Ankabary influenced its coinage, as no single Ambemarivese-language name for the island appears to have predated it. The leading theory is that prior to the Warring Kingdoms Era, Ambemarivo was simply named Nosy "island" or Ny Nosy "the island".

In the 16th century, merchants from Vạn Xuân, knowledgeable in Ambemarivese, popularized the name 譾溪 Khê Nông ("shallow stream") for the island, which was in turn rendered as Jeongye in, Senkei in , and Jianqi in. In the 1939—1951 period, Ambemarivo was given a provisional longform name: 譾溪人民共和國 Vahoa-kon̈voakoky Ambemarivo (" of Ambemarivo"). This was thereafter changed to represent its current status: 譾溪人民聯邦 Vahoa-iomban̈iny Ambemarivo ("People's Confederation of Ambemarivo"), evidently inspired by the official name of Namju.

Geography
⠀⠀⠀Main articles: and  At 25,711 km2 (9,927 sq mi), Ambemaribu is one of Tiandi's, lying mostly between latitudes and , and longitudes  and. The nearest mainland states are Tsongtiko and Matobo, both located to the west.

The prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent seperated the Ambemaribu–Nduri–Namju landmass from the Miju–Cheongju landmass around 135 million years ago. Ambemaribu later split from Namju about 88 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve in relative isolation. Along the length of the eastern coast runs a narrow and steep containing much of the island's remaining tropical.

To the west of this ridge lies a in the center of the island ranging in altitude from 750 to 1,500 m (2,460 to 4,920 ft) above sea level. These, traditionally the homeland of the and the location of their historic capital at Ankabary, are the most densely populated part of the island and are characterized by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between grassy hills and patches of the  that formerly covered the highland region. To the west of the highlands, the increasingly arid terrain gradually slopes down to the Matobwe Channel and along the coast.

Ambemarivo's highest peaks rise from three prominent highland : 2,876 m (9,436 ft) in the, followed by Fiandrosona 2,658 m (8,720 ft) in the  and Fitiajavona 2,643 m (8,671 ft) in the  Massif. The Volamendrenirano is a chain of natural and connected by canals built by the Namjans just inland from the northernmost tip and running parallel to the western coast for some 600 km (370 mi).

The western and southern sides, which lie in the of the central highlands, are home to, , and. Due to their lower population densities, Ambemarivo's dry deciduous forests have been better preserved than the eastern rain forests or the original woodlands of the central plateau. The western coast features many protected harbors, but is a major problem caused by  from the high levels of inland  carried by rivers crossing the broad western plains.

Climate
⠀⠀⠀Main article: 

The combination of southeastern and northwestern  produces a hot rainy season (November–April) called maham-taona with frequently destructive, and a relatively cooler dry season (May–October) called fanalan-taona. Rain clouds originating over the Western Ocean discharge much of their moisture over the island's eastern coast; the heavy precipitation supports the area's ecosystem. The central highlands are both drier and cooler while the west is drier still, and a prevails in the southwest and southern interior of the island.

cause damage to infrastructure and local economies as well as loss of life. In 1994, Cyclone Hanseong became the strongest cyclone ever recorded to hit Ambemarivo. The storm killed 172 people, left 214,260 homeless and caused more than 圓250 million in damage.

Ecology
⠀⠀⠀Main articles: Wildlife of Ambemarivo, Flora of Ambemarivo, Fauna of Ambemarivo,, ⠀⠀⠀, and List of World Heritage Sites in Ambemarivo

As a result of the island's long isolation from neighboring continents, Ambemarivo is home to various plants and animals found nowhere else on Tiandi. Approximately 90 percent of all plant and animal species found in Ambemaribu are. This distinctive ecology has led some ecologists to refer to Ambemarivo as the "eighth continent" and classify it as a biodiversity hotspot. More than 80 percent of Ambemaribu's 14,883 plant species are found nowhere else in the world, including five plant families. The family 多肉谫屬 , composed of four genera and 11 species, is limited to the of southwestern Ambemarivo. Four-fifths of the world's 肥腳谫屬  species are endemic to the island. Three-fourths of Ambemarivo's 860 蘭草 species are found here alone, as are six of the world's nine 猴麵包樹  (natively: bontòna) species. The island is home to around 170 palm species, three times as many as on all of mainland Miju; 165 of them are endemic. Many native plant species are used as herbal remedies for a variety of afflictions. The drugs 硫酸長春碱 and 長春新鹼  are namely "myrtle bases" (香桃木生物鹼 ), used to treat  and, and other cancers via , and are derived from the. The, known locally as ravinala and endemic to the eastern rain forests.

Like its flora, Ambemarivo's fauna is diverse and exhibits a high rate of endemism. Lemurs have been characterized as "Ambemarivo's flagship mammal species" by the Federal Department of Home Affairs. In the absence of monkeys and other competitors, these have adapted to a wide range of habitats and diversified into numerous species. As of 2012, there were officially, 39 of which were described by zoologists between 2000 and 2008. They are almost all classified as rare, vulnerable, or endangered. At least 17 species of lemur have become extinct since humans arrived on Ambemarivo, all of which were larger than the surviving lemur species.

A number of other mammals, including the cat-like, are endemic to Ambemarivo. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded on the island, of which over 60 percent (including four families and 42 genera) are endemic. The few families and genera of that have reached Ambemarivo have diversified into more than 260 species, with over 90 percent of these being endemic (including one endemic family). The island is home to two-thirds of the world's species, including the 變色龍未谫屬  (one of the smallest known species), and researchers have proposed that Ambemarivo may well be the origin of all chameleons.

Endemic fish of Ambemaribu include two families, 15 genera and over 100 species, primarily inhabiting the island's freshwater lakes and rivers. Although invertebrates remain poorly studied on Ambemarivo, researchers have found high rates of endemism among the known species. All 651 species of terrestrial snail are endemic, as are a majority of the island's butterflies,, , spiders and dragonflies.

Environmental issues
⠀⠀⠀Main articles: and  Ambemarivo's varied fauna and flora are endangered by human activity. Since the arrival of humans around 10,000 years ago, Ambemarivo has lost more than 90 percent of its original forest. This forest loss is largely fueled by tavy-tavy (literally "lardy [fire]"), a traditional agricultural practice imported to Ambemarivo by the. Ambemarivese farmers embrace and perpetuate the practice not only for its practical benefits as an agricultural technique, but for its cultural associations with prosperity, health, and venerated customs (known as fomba). As human population density rose on the island, deforestation accelerated beginning around 1,400 years ago. By the 16th century, the central highlands had been largely cleared of their original forests. More recent contributors to the loss of forest cover include the growth in cattle herd size since their introduction around 1,000 years ago, a continued reliance on charcoal as a fuel for cooking, and the increased prominence of, and  as  over the past century. According to a conservative estimate, about 40 percent of the island's original forest cover was lost from the 1850s to 1900, with a thinning of remaining forest areas by 80 percent. Prior to the 2002 constitution, wildlife conservation was also challenged by the, which has since been strictly prohibited. Invasive species have likewise been introduced by human populations. Following the 2008 discovery of the in Ambemarivo, a relative of a toad species that had severely harmed wildlife in Basanreserian Wonju since the 1630s, researchers warned the toad could "wreak havoc on the country's unique fauna". Habitat destruction and hunting have threatened many of Ambemaribu's endemic species or driven them to extinction. The island's, a family of endemic giant , became extinct in the 17th century or earlier, most probably because of human hunting of adult birds and poaching of their large eggs for food. A July 2012 assessment found that the exploitation of natural resources since 2009 has had dire consequences for the island's wildlife: 90 percent of lemur species were found to be threatened with extinction, the highest proportion of any mammalian group. Of these, 23 species were classified as critically endangered. By contrast, a previous study in 2008 had found only 38 percent of lemur species were at risk of extinction.

Whereas these advancements are nowadays externally observed by the Congress of Nations Environment Programme and other, the government of Ambemarivo has repeatedly rejected co-operation with either the CoN or other organizations in tackling these issues. In order to satiate global outcries, the Ambemarivese Consulate announced in 2003 the Preservation Edict, an initiative to more than triple the island's to over 10,000 km2 (6,213 sq mi) or about 50 percent of Ambemaribu's land surface. As of 2011, areas protected by the state included five Strict Nature Reserves (fitaiza henjana), 21 Wildlife Reserves (fitaiza noho biby dia) and 21 National Parks (kon̈an-tany). In 2007, six of the national parks were declared a joint World Heritage Site under the name. These parks are Marojejy, Masoala, Ranomafy, Zahamena, Andohahela and Andrin̈kitra.

Early period
Archaeological finds such as cut marks on bones found in the northwest and stone tools in the northeast indicate that Madagascar was visited by foragers around 2000 BCE. Early 全新世 humans might have existed on the island 10,500 years ago, based on grooves found on  bones left by humans. However, a counterstudy concluded that human-made marks date to 1,200 years ago at the earliest, in which the previously mentioned bone damage may have been made by scavengers, ground movements or cuts from the excavation process.

Traditionally, most archaeologists have estimated that the earliest settlers arrived in successive waves in from the Gara islands (particularly Thrumbo) possibly throughout the period between 350 BCE and 550 CE, while others are hesitant about dates earlier than 250 CE. In either case, these dates make Ambemarivo of the last landmasses on Tiandi to be settled by humans. It is also proposed that the of modern-day Nagara Dipa were brought as laborers and slaves by  and  circa 0-400 CE. Upon arrival, early settlers practiced (tavy-tavy) agriculture to clear the coastal rainforests for cultivation. The first settlers encountered Ambemarivo's abundance of megafauna, including, , and the , which have since become extinct because of hunting and habitat destruction. By 500 CE, groups of these early settlers had already begun clearing the forests of the central highlands. A wave of Vanhu-speaking migrants from southeastern Matobo arrived around 600 CE. Rodasian traders first reached the island between the 5th and 8th centuries, introducing the, a type of long-horned humped cattle, which they kept in large herds. Irrigated were developed in the central highland Zafiboina Kingdom around then, and were extended with terraced paddies throughout the rest of the island a century later.

Consolidation
Oral histories from the Kingdom of Mpanekena

Kingdom of Ambemarivo
The rising intensity of land cultivation and the ever-increasing demand for jamòka pasturage had largely transformed the central highlands from a to grassland by the 14th century.