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Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,221,532 km² (11,668,545 sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area. With more than 900,000,000 people (as of 2005) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are 46 countries including Madagascar, and 53 including all the island groups. |
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| Fort dauphin is a city (commune urbaine) on the southeastern edge of Madagascar.
Fort dauphin is the capital of the Anosy region, and also in the Toliara Province.
Fort Dauphin was the most durable French settlement in Madagascar, at the modern site of Fort dauphin, before the 19th century.
It was founded in 1643 by the French East India Company who built a fort there, named in honor of the crown prince of France, the future Louis XIV. It was settled by around a hundred colonists, who found themselves involved in the local politics. The poor trade results (some ebony and little more was obtained) hardly justified the difficulties of the settlers, who suffered from tropical illnesses and other problems. After a conflict with the Antanosy people, the survivors were evacuated in 1674.
One temporary settler of this colony, Etienne de Flacourt, published, back in France, the History of the Great Isle of Madagascar and Relations, that was the main source of information on the island for Europeans until the late 19th century.
For long time, there had only been a port of local importance, and no good road connections to the rest of the country.
However the area is currently undergoing a massive transformation associated the development of a new ilmenite mine by the Rio Tinto Group in the area. A new port as well as new roads are being built, these being the first investment in the region's infrastructure for many decades. The mine is controversial however due to the predicted social upheaval and adverse environmental impact it will have. In particular, health officials fear that HIV/Aids, which is almost unknown in Madagascar up to day, could spread to the island via Fort dauphin.
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