Antananarivo

Antananarivo, formerly Tananarive, city in Madagascar, capital of the country and of Antananarivo Province. It is situated in the central part of the island of Madagascar, on the slopes of a rocky ridge that rises to about 1435 m (about 4700 ft). The city is the chief economic, cultural, and administrative center of the country. It is the trade center for a rice-growing region, and industries here manufacture processed food, tobacco products, textiles, and leather goods. The city has an international airport and has rail links with Toamasina, a seaport on the Indian Ocean. The University of Antananarivo (1961), including a museum of art and archaeology, and an astronomical observatory are in the city.

The city was founded as a fortress in the early 17th century by the Merina rulers, who made it their chief residence in the 1790s. The community grew in importance as the Merina dynasty, notably Radama I, gained control of most of the island in the 19th century. The French captured the city in 1895, and subsequently it became the capital of the French dependency of Madagascar. It continued as capital when the country achieved independence in 1960. The city was known as Tananarive until 1977. Population (2001 estimate) 1,689,000.