The West
To the West of Madagascar is the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, a protected area in western Madagascar, located in the Melaky region, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 19901. It is north of Tsingy National Park in Bemaraha. The reserve covers an area of 157,710 hectares2 at an altitude of 150 and 700 meters.
The razor-sharp canyons of Tsingy de Bemaraha formed largely below the surface from deep, narrow cavities. While the monsoon rains chiseled the summit of a vast limestone deposit, the water table dissolved the rock along a network of fracture lines. When the vault of the cavities collapsed and the tablecloth lowered, a labyrinth of canyons with sharp lapies emerged.
