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SAKALAMA SAPPHIRE |
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( Ilakaka Area) |
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Sakalama is located in Bara country. This tribe from southern |
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center of Madagascar was at the origin of many thefts, raids |
between its members who disputed the domination of the area |
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within the previous centuries. |
Their dominating inclinations pushed them to attack the close |
tribes, in particular those located in the south of their area. |
The nature drove Bara becoming pastors and also solids |
armed walkers. |
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Thus, when a young man becomes adult, the habit requires that |
he mark this passage by the theft of zebus so that he proves |
his courage. Thus he will be able to marry. |
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The theft of ox is a current activity for the Bara who are |
famous for that. |
It should be said that they are not alone to practice it, because |
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this work can be regarded as a national sport. |
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The robbers of zebus are called malaso. Following the precious stones discovery on their |
territory, a part of them was naturally transformed into brigands, attacking those who can have |
an interest for them; miners, local middlemen, foreign customers are exposed there. |
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The Isalo sandstone |
composes the essence of |
the landscape of this area. |
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The first deposits consist of |
conglomerates, gravels and |
sands cemented more or less |
loosely by clays; if the distribution |
of sands and gravels is about |
regular, it is not the same thing about the conglomeratic formations always very restricted. |
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These deposits consist of materials of crystalline schists, granites, volcanic rocks varying |
with the basins, the age and distribution. |
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One finds there elements of rocks and minerals: quartz, feldspars, micas, zircons, tourmalines, |
ilmenites, magnetite, monazite, rutile, chrysoberyls, corundum. |
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The elements of rocks are of very variable size and sometimes of strong dimensions but, |
generally, it do not exceed 5 or 6 cm. The types with large elements appear localized |
close to the littoral zones; on the other hand the gravels and the sands are almost regularly |
distributed in the content of the basins. |
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This sapphire of natural color, |
therefore untreated was found |
in alluvium in the sandstones. |
This is why it does not have |
any more its original shape. |
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Bezabo mount (1066 meters) |
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The conglomeratic zones in most |
of the cases, correspond much more |
with falls than with alluvia, however |
the elements of these rocks are |
rolled at the same time more and |
more, increasingly fine and better |
cemented towards the top of |
the deposits, however without |
classification by size there. |
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The lithological variations of these sediments are in connection with the substratum. Very |
strong proportion of biotite and corundum and mica schist elements at the same time on or |
close to the substratum with talcschists; elements of quartz and quarzites largely dominant |
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Currently, this zone is prohibited to the foreigners, it is also the case of all the Ilakaka |
area. Foreigners can reside at the edge of the trunk road only, provided that they |
are holders of a permit. |
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Ilakaka in 2008 visible on Google Earth. |
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© All of the pictures on this website have been shot by gggems.com Text written by Alain Darbellay. |
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