A French colony from 1897 to 1960, crushed under the heels of numerous Englishmen, visited by Portuguese explorers, the large island has always been a transit point for many nationalities. Traces of these incessant passages can still be found on the island today: there is an Italian community, an Arab community, a French community, an American community, a Belgian community, a Chinese community and an African community.

Even more strikingly, among all these beautiful people are solitary residents from Russia, Germany and Japan. Since Madagascar became a state, the island has continued to welcome foreign nationals.

But the white hats of the French gendarmes have been replaced by the golden castle of Castile, the red lion of León, and the red and gold stripes of Spanish Aragon. After decolonisation, the structure left behind by the colonial power resulted in a unitary state, and with the first cries for a republic, its constitution was changed, leading to several political administrations. In this article, we look at what an Iberian political graft might have looked like on the large island of Madagascar.

1.A different gut

Spain and France are both renowned gastronomic countries. While in France we eat beef bourguignon, in Spain we enjoy paella and spicy dishes. Spanish cuisine is full of flavour, with food eaten both raw and cooked, and often combined with all kinds of condiments. French cuisine, on the other hand, often cooks food. Inheriting this tradition, Madagascan cuisine features broths, roasts and grilled meats.
With Spanish influence, more condiments would certainly have been used, and the clove plantations in the north-east of the island, turmeric in the east, star anise in the north-east and peppers in the south would certainly have played a more central role in the Malagasy culinary repertoire.
The digestive system is therefore the first change that this Spanish influence would have brought about, with the palate, stomach, intestines and large intestine having a different bite.

2.Different feet

With 20 European Championships, one World Cup and four European Championships under their belts, Spanish teams are a force to be reckoned with in the world of football. Whether it’s Spanish clubs or the national team, La Roja, Spanish football stands out, as evidenced by the clear success of the countries that were conquered by Spain during the colonial era. Argentina is a three-time World Cup winner, and Uruguay is a two-time World Cup winner.
If the fruits are numerous, it is because the tree is imposing in size. Spain undoubtedly has a strong football culture and has passed it on to its colonial conquests. As one of the most exciting sports in Spain, football would have had a central place in the Malagasy way of life.
If Madagascar had been a Spanish colony, Madagascans would have developed a taste for football: more than just a popular sport, it would have been a national discipline.

3.A different language

If Madagascar had been conquered by Spain, Spanish would have been the official language after Malagasy. The second most widely spoken language in the world, Spanish is spoken in 21 countries, including Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Ahead of French in terms of number of speakers, Spanish is a living language with subtle sounds that favour expression over rationality and logic. Greater importance is placed on consistency in speech, which translates into more distinctive personalities. Furthermore, the Iberian language requires in-depth learning. There are three verbal modes with 19 tenses in Spanish.
The language is rich and complex, requiring a mind that is ready to master it properly. An interesting fact about Spanish is that it is often offered as an additional modern language in various education systems around the world.

4.A different form of government

Unlike France, Spain operates under a constitutional monarchy dating back to 1978. Nevertheless, during colonisation, it established the same type of protectorate regime over its dependent territories.
It has been a republic twice, the first time from 1873 to 1874 and the second time from 1931 to 1939. Spain enjoys a high degree of political stability, with the constitution being scrupulously respected and rarely revised, and the concept of political revolution being outside the public sphere. As a result, Spain is a model of stability in terms of its political history. The facts justify this: the territories under Spanish rule have undergone fewer constitutional changes than those under French rule, or even France itself.
France has had five republics, Madagascar four. If Madagascar had been a Spanish colony, it might have followed in Spain’s footsteps and stopped at the first or second republic in order to have a different administration.

5.More lively beaches

Ibiza, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Caracas: what these cities have in common is that they are coastal cities famous for their coastlines. More than just transit points for goods, coastal cities in Hispanic culture are places of festivities and celebrations, associated with summer parties, entertainment and tourist attractions. In Rio de Janeiro, there is the Rio Carnival from February to March; in Buenos Aires, there is the Corso de Buenos Aires at the end of February; and in Caracas, there is the Caracas Carnival in February.
Spanish-speaking beaches are lively and radiate with energy.

6.Different modes of transport

Another key factor that Hispanic colonisation would have changed on the main island is the strong preference for public transport, particularly buses. This is a cultural detail: Spanish colonies all have a strong preference for public transport, bus routes are generally well developed, and they are popular with their citizens. On the large island and in other former French-speaking colonies, people tend to prefer taxis for getting around town, which is the preferred form of public transport apart from personal cars. Whether by car or motorbike, citizens have a choice of how to get there on time.

7.Different cocktails

France and Spain are two countries with a very strong gastronomic culture, but when comparing Hispanic and Francophone cultures, it is liquids rather than food that come into play. First of all, there are different wines and spirits, but above all, there are cocktails specific to each language. In French-speaking countries, people drink kir, bloody mary, and mimosa, while in Hispanic countries, they drink mojito, cuba libre, and daiquiri. Although these cocktails can be found in all regions of the world, they remain specific to each community and are primarily found in their community of origin.

8.A different education system

Here, as in most of this article, we are talking about two models that work and have proven themselves. The two models are interchangeable and have their equivalents in the European education system. In Spanish-speaking countries, these are the Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) with continuous assessment and the Bachillerato, while in French-speaking countries, they are the Brevet des Collèges and the Baccalauréat.
In terms of teaching methods, these are two slightly different approaches, one based on traditional teaching methods and the other on environmental teaching methods.
The two university education systems are almost identical, with schools that have campuses in both countries and numerous university partnerships between the two nations.