Travelling Antananarivo
Before You Travel
Antananarivo means "the city of a thousand", a reference to the 1000 soldiers that supposedly protected the newly founded city during the reign of the revered King Andrianjaka. In 1895, the French took over and expanded it greatly to include many new buildings and roads. Madagascar gained its independence from the French in 1960. Today, Antananarivo has a population of about 1.4 million people.
The capital of Madagascar is called Antananarivo or Tana. It is one of the largest and administrative city of Madagascar. it is also the most important communication and economic center of the region. It was founded in the early 17th century and was controlled by Merina form 17th to 19th century. After the French colonies took over the city, they named the city Tananarive. It is situated in the middle of the Madgascar and occupies a very commanding position. However, the city was also the main city before the French colonial era. It was founded by the king of that time who used to guard the city by his numerous soldiers.
Later on Antananarivo was ended up as the capital king's region. After the conquest of Radama I the famous king, the city was made capital city of the whole Madagascar. The whole city is rebuilt using bricks and stone which were introduced by the French after they colonized in the region. We can see mostly every building built with stones and bricks especially they were structured by European style.
The city was taken up by the French in late 18th century and got it integrated to their Madagascar territory. Soon after French entered the city the population of the city rose to double by 1950. The infrastructure of the city was developed, road were constructed and building were remodeled. However the growth of the city became rapid after the independence. The population growth rate increased and by the end of the 20th century it was 1.4 Million. New industries of cigarettes, food products and textile were introduced.
Antananarivo is watched over by two forts which are on the east side. The city has more than five thousand churches. The city has a main airport called Ivato Airport, which provides regional routes as well international flights to Paris, South Africa and Kenya. Antananarivo has a moderate and pleasant climate. The dry season is tepid and sunny, while it gets chilly in the nights.
Antananarivo (Tana) is the capital city of Madagascar and the largest city on this big island in the Indian Ocean. The city is situated inland, about 90 miles from the East coast. Antananarivo was founded in the early 1600's and its position on top of a high ridge made it easy to defend against enemy attack.
Claim to Fame:
Tana will surprise you with its rice paddies, pollution, Asian looks, numerous stairs up steep hills, palaces, cobbled streets and churches. This is not Africa or Asia, Madagascar is totally unique.
Travel to Antananarivo:
Most people traveling to Madagascar will arrive in the capital since the international airport is situated there. Antananarivo is a bustling place with lots of churches, a mosque, a zoo and plenty of markets called Zomas. The capital is basically built on 12 hills and steep steps lead to the main Independence square in the town center. The architecture is a mixture of old wooden houses, modern offices and French colonial style buildings. The best way to see Tana is to walk around and take taxis. Many visitors take a taxi up to the Rova in the Upper Town and walk around from there. The Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park houses some of Madagascar's unique flora and fauna including lemurs. Tana is somewhat typical of many cities in a developing country: lots of poverty, pollution, and crumbling infrastructure interspersed with modern cafes, restaurants and shops selling western goods.
Antananarivo Tours
