Avenue of the Baobabs

Avenue World Wonders, World

The Avenue or Alley of the Baobabs is a prominent clump of baobab trees lining the dirt road between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region of western Madagascar. Along the Avenue, at about 260 meters, there are 20-25 Adansonia grandidieri trees, about 30 meters high, endemic to Madagascar. Another 20-25 trees of this species grow in the nearby rice fields and meadows. The baobab trees, which can live up to 800 years, are a legacy of the dense tropical forests that once thrived in Madagascar.

Along the Avenue, over some 260 meters, are 20–25 Adansonia grandidieri trees, about 30 meters in height, endemic to Madagascar. Another 20–25 trees of this species grow in nearby rice paddies and meadows. Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, known locally as renala (Malagasy for "mother of the forest"), are a legacy of the dense tropical forests that once thrived on Madagascar. The trees did not originally tower in isolation over the sere landscape of scrub but stood in dense forests. Over the years, as the country's population grew, the forests were cleared for agriculture, leaving only the baobab trees, which the locals preserved as much for their own sake as for their value as a food source and building material.