Sainte Marie island featured on ARTE Channel
After the Pangalanes Canal, Sainte Marie Island will be in the spotlight this Thursday, May 17, 2018, at 5:30 PM French time on the ARTE channel.
Sainte Marie Island is a gem of the Indian Ocean. Just a few kilometers off the eastern coast of Madagascar, this small territory—49 km long and 5 km wide—is a microcosm of its larger neighbor.
With its remarkably preserved flora and fauna and breathtaking underwater landscapes, the island is a haven where humpback whales migrate each year from southern waters to breed. These features make it a unique destination for naturalists from around the globe. It is said that Sainte Marie plunges its visitors into a dream they never wish to wake from.
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A rich history and cultural fusion
Sainte Marie Island boasts a unique history. It is the oldest "French" territory in Madagascar. While the main island resisted French domination until the late 19th century, Sainte Marie became French as early as 1750 after serving as a pirate haven for two centuries. The island maintained strong ties with the former colonial power until relatively recently.
Surprisingly, this resulted not in an extreme French influence but in a delicate cultural fusion. The identity of Sainte Marie’s inhabitants, often praised for its authenticity, has absorbed and strengthened through external influences. The island's dialect, closely related to Betsimisaraka, reflects traces of French, Bantu, English, and Indonesian influences.
France left a deep imprint on Sainte Marie, an inheritance visible in its language, architecture, legends, flora, and fauna. A journey to Sainte Marie tells the story of French exploits on the island and showcases the unique cultural blending it fostered—a rich tapestry woven into the fabric of its natural and cultural heritage.
Benjamin Lalande - Détours Madagascar