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Madagascar has in fact a long history of chocolate production, dating back to the French colonial times, 1937 to be precise. In those days, Madagascar was a major cocoa exporter in supplying a metropolitan France. Today Madagascar's cocoa production is tiny in comparison to for example the Ivory Coast, which produces about 38% of the world's cocoa, while almost all cocoa grown in Madagascar comes from an area about 50 kilometres in radius and represents less than 1% of the world's cocoa production. The cocoa plantations can be found in the [[Sambirano]] area within the Ambanja district. The area is named after the Sambirano River which runs from the foothills of Madagascar's highest peak [[Maromokotro]] through the countryside and the Sambirano Valley into the Indian Ocean. <!--
Within the Ambanja disctrict The cocoa plantations can be found within the Ambanja district in [[Sambirano]], an area named after a river which runs through the countryside from the foothills of Madagascar's highest peak into the Indian Ocean.
--> Due to natural sesonal flooding of the river, the soil along the Sambirano riverbed and its surrounding cocoa plantations are is highly enriched with minerals and nutrients. Unlike cocoa producing regions in most other countries, the Sambirano region is unique in that it yields cocoa all year round. There are plenty of Criollo (the best cocoa beans), Forastero (the most common variety) and Trinitario (a cross between Criollo and Forastero).
[[File:Cinagra 070.jpg|thumb|600px|none|Crushed Malagasy cocoa with splinters of cocoa nibs ready for processing into liquid chocolate]]
