Ilakaka is a small town in

Ihorombe Ihorombe is a region in Madagascar. It borders Haute Matsiatra region in north, Atsimo-Atsinanana in east, Anosy in south and Atsimo-Andrefana in west. The capital is Ihosy and the population was 418,520 in 2018. The area of Ihorombe is and ...

Region in the south western part of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. In the early 1990s there were only about 40 residents in the area. After the discovery of one of Earth's largest known

alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...

deposits in the valley of the

Ilakaka river Ilakaka is a small town in Ihorombe Region in the south western part of Madagascar. In the early 1990s there were only about 40 residents in the area. After the discovery of one of Earth's largest known alluvial sapphire deposits in the valley ...

in 1998, the population had boomed to nearly 60,000 in 2005. Since high profits are at stake, violence is common in the town.

Geography

Ilakaka is in

Ihosy District Ihosy is a district in south-eastern Madagascar. It is a part of Ihorombe Region and borders the districts of Ikalamavony in north, Ambalavao in northeast, Ivohibe in east, Iakora in southeast, Betroka in south, Benenitra in southwest, Sa ...

Region, 735 km south of

Antananarivo Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...

, near

Isalo National Park Isalo National Park is a National Park in the Ihorombe Region of Madagascar, in the southwestern corner of the Province of Fianarantsoa. The closest town is Ranohira, and the closest cities are Toliara and Ihosy. It is a sandstone landscape th ...

. It is found along the Route nationale No.7 from

Toliara Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of national capital Antananarivo. The current spelling of the name was adopted ...

(210 km) to Fianarantsoa (307 km) in southwestern Madagascar. It is situated at 210 km from Tuléar, 26 km from

Ranohira Ranohira is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Ihosy, which is a part of Ihorombe Region. The population of the commune was 16,041 in 2018 Primary and junior level secondary education are available in town. It is a ...

and 84 km from

Sakaraha Sakaraha is a town and municipality in Atsimo-Andrefana Region, south-western Madagascar. It has a population of 31,183 in 2018. Geography Sakaraha is situated along route nationale No. 7 (Tuléar- Fianarantsoa) at 134 km from Tuléar, 64& ...

.Atlas Mondial, France Loisir, page 159

History

In 1998, after the discovery of an important

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...

, what was once a quiet rural village has been transformed into a

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

town, a victim of "Sapphire fever," with thousands of arrivals hoping to stake a claim, complete with bars, brothels, and scores to settle. The fever has overrun the entire country and every day hundreds of people flow in from throughout the region.

Demography

The village has exploded with the incessant influx. As of 2008 the population was about 30,000 according to local authorities, but the number is highly approximate given the incessant turnover. All 18 ethnic groups of Madagascar are represented.

Religion

There is a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

and a Church Rhema in Ilakaka.

Administration

Ilakaka belongs to the district of

Ihosy Ihosy is a city (commune urbaine) with 283,047 inhabitants (2015) in Ihorombe Region in central south Madagascar. Ihosy is the capital of Ihorombe Region, as well as of the district of Ihosy. Geography Ihosy is an important crosspoint for ...

, in the region of

, in the province of Fianarantsoa.

Environment and infrastructure

Unofficial plots are pitted with wells, into which the miners descend to find a seam. The landscape has been remade by such operations. The

sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes. Thicknesses can vary significantly; ex ...

shacks where the miners live have neither

running water Tap water (also known as faucet water, running water, or municipal water) is water supplied through a tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used for drinking, ...

nor

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

, and there are very few paved roads. The area is spotted with giant baobabs.

References

External links

Sapphire Rush in Ilakaka

Close-up satellite map of Ilakaka
* http://www.riva-press.com/det.php?id=13 - Reportage about Ilakaka by French-Malagasy photojournalist Rijasolo (Riva Press agency) {{Authority control Populated places in Ihorombe Sapphire mines in Madagascar