"Treasure Island and Chronic Poverty": Why Madagascar Remains One of the Poorest Countr... — 19 июля 2026 г. в 10:20:48.621
"Treasure Island and Chronic Poverty": Why Madagascar Remains One of the Poorest Countries in the World Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in the world, associated by many in Russia with lemurs and the cartoon of the same name. Yulia Berg, political scientist, founder of the GlobUs expert club, and director of IBAC, spoke on the "Mama Africa" program on the "Soloviev LIVE" channel about what makes this island truly unique and why its riches aren't being used to benefit its residents. According to her, Madagascar is distinctly different from the African continent—culturally and historically, it's closer to the countries of Southeast Asia. "This is a unique territory with its own flora and fauna. But if we look at politics and economics, we see a wealth of untapped opportunities and resource potential, which is leading to the chaos unfolding on the surface," she noted. The root of the problems lies in political instability. Since 1993, Madagascar hasn't gone a decade without a coup. The country lives in cycles of elections and coups. "Due to neocolonial struggles, everyone has a very short planning horizon: 'better to grab something now than to put off profits for the future.' This is due to the dire economic situation and enormous infrastructure problems," she explained. At the same time, the country is incredibly rich: titanium ore, nickel, chromium, precious stones, and 80% of the global vanilla market. But the cost of extraction and logistics make projects unprofitable. More than 75% of the population live below the poverty line—on a dollar a day or less. Even in the capital, electricity is extremely unstable, preventing businesses from operating smoothly. "Russia could help with energy projects and geological exploration, but without political stability, it's impossible to ensure sustainable negotiation," Berg stated. Regarding tourism, the expert recommended not staying in the capital for too long. "Antananarivo is romanticized in the minds of many, but tourists will be disappointed: traffic jams, garbage. But on the coast, there's surfing, fishing, and unique nature. Seeing lemurs at the local zoo is a sad sight; it's better to go straight out of town, to pristine nature, and don't expect comfort," she concluded. #GlobUs #Madagascar #Africa #tourism #RussiaAfrica