The capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo or Tananarive in French. Antananarivo is the biggest city on the island. The city is situated in the highlands of central Madagascar, and has a surface area covering 33.4 square miles with an altitude of 4,199 feet above sea level. Antananarivo was built on the summit of three hills that connect to form a Y-shape. The city has since grown to cover the hills and the hill bases. The city is bordered to the south and the west by the Ikopa River. Antananarivo was founded in the 16th century and served as the capital of the Imerina kingdom until 1710 when the kingdom disintegrated into four units. The city gained back its status as the capital of the Imerina capital in 1794 and has since retained its status.
According to world population review, the population of Antananarivo in 2017 was around 1.4 million people. 10% of Madagascar’s population resides in Antananarivo and several others in the outskirt suburbs of the city - this makes the city the most populous on the island. Antananarivo’s population surpasses the population of Antsiranana, Toamasina, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, and Toliara cities put together.
Antananarivo has many tourist attraction sites ranging from art to museums and historical monuments. The sights to see include the Rova of Antananarivo, also known as the queen’s palace, which is a historical palace that housed the royal family of the Imerina kingdom. The palace was razed down by a fire in 1995 but is currently undergoing renovation. Andafiavarata palace was the prime minister’s residence in the 19th century but has since been converted into a museam.
Antananarivo has a subtropical highland climate. Winter is usually mild and dry, and the summer is mostly rainy. The hottest month of the year is January, and during this period there are heavy precipitations. As Antananarivo is found in the southern hemisphere, the month with the coolest temperature is July.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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