Betsiboka River
River systems in Madagascar
Delta of the Betsiboka (not North Up )
F fVorlage: Infobox River / Obsolete
The river Betsiboka [ betsibukḁ ] in northwestern Madagascar with a watershed area of 11,800 square kilometers [note 1] is 525 km long and is often called the Red River. It flows into the Bay of Bombeteka when lying on the right bank city of Mahajanga (French Majunga ).
Course
The headwaters of the Betsiboka is located at about 1600 meters above sea level. On his way to the sea in a northwesterly direction, it passes in a wide arc around after half the capital Antananarivo. The upper and middle course is ideal for sports-minded rafting trips.
As the river meanders very Antananarivo and forms after the breakthrough of a mountain range, the latest from the city Maevatanana, at least twice as wide riverbed as for the normal water runoff would be necessary. During the rainy season from early November to mid-March the Betsiboka is deposited enormous amounts of sediments that form sand banks and lead to a limited extent to occasional shifting of the river bed. From the village Bernarivo the river is navigable. A little later Betsibokas opens most important tributary, the. Ikopa coming from the left, which comes from the same source area as the Betsiboka
Economy
From the coastal town of Mahajanga of Betsiboka to 140 kilometers upriver navigable. The port and its related industries are important sources of income for the region. Since 2000 there has been a joint venture with a Japanese company, which operates a shrimp farm on the peninsula south of the city.
In the upper reaches to 19 ° 1 ' S, 47 ° 43' O 19.0135247.71543 and 19 ° 15 ' S, 47 ° 51' O 19.2554947.84366 are some reservoirs which are used to produce energy.
The river water is also used to irrigate the fields; agriculture is the main source of income of Madagascar, in the lower reaches of the river, especially rice cultivation. Only a small proportion of the land is suitable for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, having begun overexploitation of wood since the mid 19th century, first slash and burn, and with the beginning of the colonization. Large areas around the west coast were once heavily forested, while they are more like a savannah today. The effects of slash and burn, which is still used, are clearly visible. Valuable nutrients, minerals and iron-rich topsoil is washed into the rainy season in the Betsiboka and colored this red. The estuary is heavily silted up over the last 50 years, deep vessels not reach the industrial plants of Mahajanga; the cargo must be loaded onto smaller boats.
Flora and Fauna
The banks of the Betsiboka are mostly still very original designed as a gallery forest and home to the habitat of many living things. These include especially the red and brown lemurs Lemur, Lemur - Rotschulter, the Kronensifaka and the Coquerel Sifaka. The bird of the giant Coua be mentioned is the largest with more than 50 centimeters in size tart occurring cuckoo species.