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State / Province · Madagascar

Map of Antsiranana

Antsiranana is a first-level division of Madagascar. Its largest mapped city is Antsiranana, with about 82,937 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Antsiranana, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities along with the mountains, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.

Cities Mapped
5
Largest City
Antsiranana
82,937
Country
Madagascar
Africa
Highest Point Mapped
2,876 m
Maromokotro

Interactive Map of Antsiranana

6.4

About Antsiranana

Antsiranana is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 43,406 km2. It had a population of 1,188,425 (July 2001). Its capital was Antsiranana. A diversity of ethnic groups are found in the province, including Anjoaty, Sakalava, Antakarana, Tsimihety, Antemoro, Betsimisaraka, Antandroy, etc.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Antsiranana Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Antsiranana, Madagascar
Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Antsiranana in Depth

History

A major battle took place at Diego-Suárez (now Antsiranana), the largest city in Antsiranana Province, in May 1942. "Fierce fighting" in the area saw over 500 Allied casualties. On May 29, Japanese submarine I-10 surfaced off the coast and launched a Nakajima A6M2-N reconnaissance aircraft over the port. Operation Ironclad was relaunched, after being stalled, on June 22 to counterattack, with supporting forces from the East African Brigade Group and later the Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade in July.

Geography

Antsiranana Province bordered Toamasina Province to the southeast and Mahajanga Province to the southwest. The province has been described as being "virtually isolated", because of Mt Tsaratanana, the highest peak, being situated in it at 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) above sea level. The valleys are fertile, with tropical crops cultivated. There is a natural harbour at Antsiranana which contains a significant naval base.

Ankarana Reserve, in the northwest, was established in 1956. It is a small, partially vegetated plateau composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about 2,000 millimetres (79 in), the underlying rocks are susceptible to erosion, thereby producing caves and underground rivers—a karst topography.

Economy and health

Antsiranana Province is known for its sapphires. A number of Catholic schools set up by missionaries in the province are still scattered about.

Rural poverty is a major problem in the region, with 69.2% of the population reported to be suffering in 2001 according to reports by the International Monetary Fund. An unusual percentage of children in the province have been reported to be suffering from anemia, as high as 70% in some parts.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Antsiranana Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Antsiranana: Key Facts

Key facts about Antsiranana
Population1,188,425 (2001)
Area43,406 km²
CapitalAntsiranana

Facts from Wikidata Q656073 (CC0).

History of Antsiranana: Empires and States

The atlas records 6 polities whose mapped territory included part of Antsiranana, from Merina Kingdom in 1822 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Antsiranana, in chronological order
PolityPeriod here
Merina Kingdom1822–1897 CE
French Third Republic1898–1939 CE
French Africa1898–1957 CE
The French Colonial Empire1898–1957 CE
French Fourth Republic1945–1957 CE
Madagascar1960–2024 CE

Historical Maps of Antsiranana

Antsiranana on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Antsiranana

Antsiranana Province (or Diego-Suarez) is a former province in the north of the island state of Madagascar. In 2007, the province was divided into two regions: Diana in the west (capital Antsiranana) and Sava in the east (capital Sambava).

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Antsiranana Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Antsiranana

5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Antsiranana
#NamePopulation
1Antsiranana82,937
2Antalaha47,224
3Sambava43,465
4Ambanja30,621
5Andoany22,680

Highest Mountains in Antsiranana

1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

Highest Mountains in Antsiranana
#NameElevation
1Maromokotro2,876 m

Ports in Antsiranana

3 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

Ports in Antsiranana
#NameChannel Depth
1Antsohim Bondrona42.1 m
2Iharana27.4 m
3Antsiranana27.4 m

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Antsiranana

1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Antsiranana
#NameInscribed
1Rainforests of the Atsinanana2007

Antsiranana: Quick Answers

Where is Antsiranana?
Antsiranana is a first-level division of Madagascar, in Africa. Its mapped cities centre on 13.7018° S, 49.2956° E.
What is the largest city in Antsiranana?
Antsiranana is the largest city mapped in Antsiranana, with a metropolitan population of about 82,937.
How many cities are in Antsiranana?
YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Antsiranana, with a combined metropolitan population of about 226,927. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
What is the highest mountain in Antsiranana?
The highest summit mapped in Antsiranana is Maromokotro at 2,876 m.

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