Sapphire mines that become forests | International Institute for ...
By the early 2000s, the town of Sakaraha had become the biggest gem-trading centre in Madagascar. The town sprang almost out of nowhere: a few years earlier it was a tiny village. In 2017, it boasts a population of 120,000, which includes people living in the vicinity – most of whom depend on gemstone mining and trade, directly or indirectly.