Nosy Komba

featured Wiki of the Day

fWotD Episode 2945: Nosy Komba
Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.
The featured article for Wednesday, 28 May 2025, is Nosy Komba.
Nosy Komba (Malagasy pronunciation: [nusʲ ˈkuᵐba]; lit. 'island of lemurs'), also known as Nosy Ambariovato, is a small volcanic island in Madagascar, situated between the island of Nosy Be and the northwestern coast of the main island of Madagascar. Roughly circular, it rises sharply towards a plateau and the summit of Antaninaombi at the center of the island. Administered as an arrondissement of the unitary commune and district of Nosy-Be within Diana Region, the island is divided into five fokontany (villages), with Ampangorina as the main village and administrative center. The population is mainly restricted to the northern half of the island. The economy is reliant on tourism and handicrafts, supplemented by a wide range of agricultural products. Hotels and guest houses support tourists to the island, mainly on excursions from Nosy Be.
The lowlands of the island are divided between secondary forest and a patchwork of farmland and plantations (notably including shade-grown coffee), while the highlands are mainly scrubland, with a bamboo forest in the northern portions. The island hosts a diverse range of reptiles and amphibians, although this has been reduced by deforestation. The island is known for its black lemurs, causing it to attract significant ecotourism. Heavily deforested during the 19th and 20th centuries, the island has only small pockets of old-growth forest remaining in remote areas. Although the island hosts a traditionally protected forest and an arboretum established in the colonial era, protection for the latter is essentially unenforced, and illegal logging continues.
During the early 19th century, the region was heavily settled by Sakalava refugees and their slaves fleeing the hegemony of the Merina Kingdom. France gained control of the island in 1840; it was converted to a logistic center for the import of indentured servants and local slaves, and later a sanatorium retreat for colonists.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:52 UTC on Wednesday, 28 May 2025.
For the full current version of the article, see Nosy Komba on Wikipedia.
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