MADAGASGAR. 



MAINE. 



M 



MADAGASCAR, an island colony of France, 

 near the southeast coast of Africa, formerly a king- 

 dom, recognized by Queen Ranavalona III as a 

 French protectorate on Oct. 1, 1895, as the result of 

 a war, and declared a French colony on Aug. 6, 

 1 -".Hi. The Queen was deposed on Feb. 27, 1897. 

 The French tariff was applied in August, 1897, in 

 spite of the protest of the British Government, 

 which claimed, under international law and by vir- 

 tue of a pledge of the French Government, that the 

 protectorate did not alter the engagements of the 

 MadagMeao Government and the assurance that 

 ii" change in the status was contemplated; that 

 the rights and immunities enjoyed by British sub- 

 jects remained intact. Consular jurisdiction was 

 relinquished by Great Britain in return for a like 

 concession given by France in respect to Zanzibar. 

 A> regards commercial privileges, the French Min- 

 i-!rr of Foreign Affairs held that these were abro- 

 gated by the act of annexation. In 1898, after sub- 

 duing a rebellion of the western Sakalavas, Gen. 



belonging to many different tribes in various stages 

 of civilization, number from 3,500,000 to 5,000,000. 

 The area of the island is 228,500 square miles. The 

 French Government contributed 15,710,000 francs 

 to the cost of government in 1898, and by a recently 

 organized system of revenue and taxation 10,000."- 

 000 francs were collected in the island. A loan of 

 30,000,000 francs was raised at 3 per cent, in 1897 

 for the purposes of converting the 6-per-cent. debt 

 of 15,000,000 francs and making internal improve- 

 ments. The rebellion of the tribes, which began in 

 1896, was instigated by British subjects, Indian and 

 Arab traders, who exchanged guns and ammuni- 

 tion for slaves and gold dust, and who, to save their 

 trade, appealed for British interference. In the 

 south and parts of the west, where the influence of 

 the Banian traders was powerful, the state of the 

 country was still unsettled in the beginning of 1898. 

 Between Fort Dauphin and the capital bands of 

 robbers defied the Government and prevented the 

 exploitation of the caoutchouc forests. After the 





ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR, FROM THE WEST. 



Gallieni, the Governor General, set thousands of 

 natives to work building roads from Antananarivo, 

 the capital, toward the coasts, east and west. 

 Through a pass discovered in the Mandraka ridge 

 a good road will connect the central province of 

 Imerina with the port of Tamatave, the harbor of 

 which is being improved. The telegraph system 

 has been extended, and surveys ha\e been made for 

 railroads, the most important being a line from 

 Taraatave to the capital. The capital is connected 

 with Tamatave ami with Majimira by telegraphs, 

 and the latter port with the submarine line to Eu- 

 rope by a cable to Mozambique. A beginning has 

 been made with French colonization. The natives, 



repulse of 400 Sakalavas at Ambiky with a loss of 

 53, many of the western rebels submitted. The 

 whole island was pacified before the close of the 

 year. Algerian troops serving in Madagascar were 

 sent home. 



MAINE, a New England State, admitted to the 

 Union March 15, 1820; area, 33,040 square miles. 

 The population, according to each decennial census 

 since admission, was 298.269 in 1820; 399,455 in 

 ls:',<): 501.793 in 1840: 5KU09 in 1S50; ($28.278 in 

 1860 : 626,915 in 1870 : 648,936 in 1880 ; 661,086 in 

 1890. Capital, Augusta. 



drOTernment. The following were the State 

 officers during the year: Governor, Llewellyn 



