Antananarivo is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial name Tananarive or the shorthand form Tana.
The larger urban area surrounding the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra (”Antananarivo-Capital”), is the capital of the Analamanga region and of the Antananarivo autonomous province.
The city was captured by the French in 1895 and incorporated into their Madagascar protectorate. After the French conquest of Madagascar when the city had a population of some 100,000, it was extensively remodelled as the population grew to 175,000 by 1950. Roads were constructed throughout the city, broad flights of steps connecting places too steep for the formation of carriage roads, and the central space, called Andohalo, was enhanced with walks, terraces, flower-beds and trees. Water, previously obtained from springs at the foot of the hill, was brought from the Ikopa River, which skirts the capital to the south and west.
After independence in 1960 the pace of growth increased rapidly. The city’s population reached 1.4 million by the end of the 20th century. Industries include food products, cigarettes, and textiles.
The city is guarded by two forts built on hills to the east. Including an Anglican and a Roman Catholic cathedral, there are more than 50 churches in the city and its suburbs, as well as a mosque. Antananarivo hosts a campus of the University of Madagascar and the Collège Rural d’Ambatobe. Ivato Airport serves the city with several regional routes and flights to and from Paris, Johannesburg and Nairobi among other cities.
Michele Ratsivalaka succeeded Andry Rajoelina as mayor, who replaced Marc Ravalomanana as president during the 2009 Malagasy political crisis. National Hard Money Association
