Antananarivo, Madagascar

Antananarivo is the capital of the island nation of Madagascar. Also called "Tana," Antananarivo means "city of a thousand" in Malagasy, the country's official language along with French. Established in 1610, the capital is located in Madagascar's central plateau between the eastern area along the Indian Ocean and the western plains bordering the Mozambique Channel.

Antananarivo is Madagascar's largest urban area and contains the country's only international airport. The city is also the administrative, economic, educational, and cultural center of the country.

Madagascar is internationally known for its unique wildlife and flora. Antananarivo is a major destination for scientists and ecotourists from around the world. The Tsimbazaza Zoo and the country's universities lead the nation's ecological restoration efforts as well as the ecotourism industry.

Landscape

Antananarivo is located in Madagascar's central plateau and is built on the slopes of the Great Cliff of Angavo, a ridge that rises to 1,430 meters (4,692 feet). From the city, the country's highest point, Maromokofro Peak, can be seen rising to 2,876 meters (9,436 feet) in the north.

The elevation on the central plateau ranges from 800 to 1,800 meters (2,625 to 5,906 feet). The city sits on 88 square kilometers (34 square miles), but is difficult to define due to a rapidly expanding suburban area. The central, most urban district of the city is referred to colloquially as "Tana."

The central plateau contains rocky volcanic soil blended with low-lying marsh vegetation. Antananarivo sits alongside a rift valley to the east, which contains Lac Alaotra, the largest body of water on the island at 40 kilometers (25 miles) in length.

Madagascar’s geography, coupled with the effects of climate change, resulted in a devastating drought in the late 2010s and early 2020s, causing a deadly famine. The United Nations World Food Programme declared a “food catastrophe” in Madagascar for about 30,000 people in 2021. Two years later, drought conditions in the nation had improved, with the United Nations reporting almost three-quarters of Madagascar’s groundwater levels had returned to normal.

People

The population of Antananarivo is approximately 3.872 million (2023 estimate). Madagascar is home to eighteen major ethnic groups. The Malagasy, the indigenous people of Madagascar, are of Indonesian, East African, and Arab ancestry, and are divided into a number of tribes. Ethnic groups frequently intermarry, and the country's culture is becoming more homogeneous as a result. In the central plateau, the most common ethnic groups are the Merina and Betsileo. Antananarivo is also home to a large nonindigenous population, including French, Indonesians, and people of the Comoro Islands.

The official languages of Madagascar are French and Malagasy. The majority of residents speak Malagasy, which is divided into at least ten regional dialects. The Malagasy dialect of Antankarana is the most commonly spoken language in Antananarivo, followed by French and Indonesian.

About half the population practices indigenous tribal religion. Ancestor worship plays a large role in these beliefs, and burial tombs are a major feature of the landscape surrounding Antananarivo. Other major religious groups include Christians (41 percent of the population) and Muslims (7 percent).

Malagasy culture is divided into socioeconomic castes and is further arranged by a series of kinship groups and family hierarchies. Because Antananarivo contains a blend of ethnic groups, the caste and kinship structures within the city are less well defined.

Rice is a major feature of the Malagasy diet, and is a staple in native dishes. Local meats include a variety of fresh and saltwater fish and zebu, a type of cattle that originated in Africa. Hotels and restaurants in Antananarivo often serve French cuisine or native foods.

Economy

The major industries in Madagascar are agriculture, fishing, food processing, forestry, and ecotourism. In Antananarivo, retail markets provide additional economic opportunity as well as automobile manufacturing, meat processing, and textile industries.

As well as being the administrative center of the Malagasy government, Antananarivo is also the economic capital. Most of Madagascar's chief exports (coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava, shellfish, cotton, clothing, chromite, and petroleum products) pass through Antananarivo on their way overseas.

Political crises have negatively affected the economy of Antananarivo. In addition, the population of Antananarivo greatly exceeds the city's capacity in terms of public services and housing. In 2005, Antananarivo initiated a new series of economic initiatives designed to fix some of the city's major problems, including public transportation, sanitation, and population capacity.

Landmarks

At the center of Antananarivo is the Queen's Rova, a palace originally built by King Andrianjaka in the 1600s. The Rova was destroyed by the French Army in 1895 and suffered a fire in 1995. Despite ongoing reconstruction, it remains a popular tourist attraction, and houses a cultural museum dedicated to the history of Antananarivo and its monarchy.

The zoological park at Tsimbazaza features many of Madagascar's unique species of animals, including various birds and reptiles. The zoo also houses a large collection of the country's native lemurs and primate species found only in Madagascar. The zoo also contains a cultural museum that provides visitors with an introduction to the history of the wildlife and native cultures of Madagascar.

Independence Avenue is the central street in Antananarivo and offers a glimpse into the native culture of the Malagasy. Markets of various sizes sit along the avenue providing passers-by with access to fruits, vegetables, and a variety of handmade crafts, clothing, and artwork.

The University of Antananarivo, founded in 1955 as the Institute for Advanced Studies in Antananarivo, is the country's largest public university. The campus contains the Museum of Art and Archaeology, which is a popular tourist attraction and provides an introduction to the unique art and history of the Malagasy.

History

European explorers arrived in Madagascar in the 1500s. The island was, at that time, divided into separate kingdoms along ethnic Malagasy lines. Antananarivo was established in the 1610 by King Andrianjaka, who conquered the Merina tribes of the central plateau and made Antananarivo the center of his territory.

Both the French and Portuguese governments tried repeatedly to invade Madagascar in the 1600s but were ousted by the Malagasy. The various tribes formed loose confederations to defend the country against foreign military powers, and Antananarivo became increasingly important as a military stronghold for Malagasy chiefs.

King Andrianampoinimerina united many of the tribes in 1794 and made Antananarivo the official capital of his kingdom. Andrianampoinimerina created the first government, which included provisions for the protection of natural resources and for the division of land between tribes and kinship units.

Andrianampoinimerina's son, Radama I, assumed the throne in 1817 and led campaigns to unify the remaining portions of the island under his rule. Antananarivo grew as the administrative center of the country. Radama I ended the practice of slavery and formed relationships with British and French missionaries, allowing churches and Christian groups to enter the country.

After Radama's death, Queen Ranavalona took the throne and attempted to oust all foreigners from the country, outlawing Christianity. Civil war erupted across the country, especially among the Merina and Betselio ethnic groups.

After her death in 1861, Radama II took the throne and reversed the anti-European policy. Antananarivo was modernized with stone architecture and the Rova, or Queen's Palace, was converted to stone.

In 1883, France attacked Madagascar and designated the country as a French protectorate. Queen Ravanola III failed to organize a unified resistance. The French destroyed the Rova in 1894 and seized Antananarivo in 1896. By 1897, the queen was overthrown and sent into exile.

The French renamed the city Tananarive and build the first roads and sewer and water systems in the city. The population of forty-three thousand grew with the arrival of a large number of French nationals. The French established a colonial administration with Antananarivo as the administrative capital.

The colony remained under French rule until 1958, when Madagascar was declared an autonomous region and the first Malagasy president was elected. The first Malagasy mayor of Antananarivo, Stanislas Rakotonirina, was elected in 1956, during the transition to autonomy.

Civil war during the 1970s gave rise to a regime change led by student and worker revolutionaries. In 1975, a new constitution was adopted and the country was renamed the Democratic Republic of Madagascar.

In 2002, Marc Ravalomanana, former mayor of Antananarivo, was elected president and began a systematic restructuring of Madagascar's government. Ravalomanana had been Antananarivo's most effective mayor, and he initiated strategies for dealing with the city's principal problems, namely overpopulation, deteriorating infrastructure, and economic decline. Ravalomanana won reelection in 2006, but he stepped down in early 2009 following widespread protests. Ravalomanana handed over his power to the military, which named Andry Rajoelina, the mayor of Antananarivo, as president of a transitional government, a move that drew international condemnation for circumventing the electoral process. Elections in 2013 brought Hery Rajaonarimampianina to power, and then Rajoelina was elected in 2018 to serve again as president. He was re-elected in 2023.

Bibliography

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Harding, Andrew. "Madagascar on the Brink of Climate Change-Induced Famine." BBC News, 24 Aug. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58303792. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.

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