The book describes the Ankarana plateau and its cave network in Madagascar, depicting the natural environment of the Plateau as well as the natural processes which created the cave network of more than 100km with many galleries, some are very large and draped with different cave formations and underground rivers are inhabited with crocodiles and giant eels.This place is famous for its surface landscape formed with tsingy, natural needles formed by the weathering of limestone. The Ankarana is surrounded by native Madagascan rain forest inhabited with lemurs and it was a natural shelter for the Ankarana people whose kings were buried in caves. The cave system has been partially explored since the sixties and exploration is still in progress. The book includes several maps (geology, topography, hydrology), the survey of the caves and a brief description of the Ankarana Kingdom.

Presents a unique place where both volcanic and karst features are intermingled Provides the first comprehensive monograph of the highly visited Ankarana plateau Includes cave surveys and geographic data that are helpful for visitors, explorers, or managers

Inhalt
Presentation.- Geography.- Fauna and Flora of the Ankarana.- Geology and Hydrogeology.- Speleology in the Ankarana.- Caves of the Northern Ankarana.- Caves of the Mananjeba Buttes.- Caves of the Southern Buttes.- Others Caves Near the Ankarana Plateau.- The People of the Ankarana.- The Tourism in the Ankarana.- General Bibliography.