Maroantsetra , formerly Louisbourg, is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
and domestic seaport in
Analanjirofo Region,
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
, at the northern end of the
Bay of Antongil. In 2018, Maroantsetra counted 42,529 people. Even though it is a small city, Maroantsetra played an important role in the
Betsimisaraka history as the unification of this tribe by
Ratsimilaho started there. Throughout the eighteenth century, Maroantsetra also actively participated in the piracy and the attack led collectively by the Betsimisarakas against the
islands of Comoros and some east African countries.
History
Maurice Benyovszky arrived in Maroantsetra in February 1774. He established a colony here, which was named Louisbourg. A hospital was built as well as a quarantine post on
Nosy Mangabe island just off the coast.
Geography and climate
Maroantsetra is a coastal town in northeastern Madagascar, approximately by air northeast of
Antananarivo
Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
. The
Antainambalana River flows into the bay after meandering around the town.
It is one of the wettest places in Madagascar due to the trade winds, and receives an average of 138 inches (350 cm) of rain annually.
Landmarks and economy
Maroantsetra is the main point of access to
Masoala National Park and the
Nosy Mangabe special reserve.
Transport
The town is served by
Maroantsetra Airport. The
National road 5 links the town to
Toamasina though its largely unpaved .
The ''Melissa Express'' passenger boat operates between the town and
Mananara, and further on to
Soanierana and
Ivongo. The trip to Mananara typically takes about three hours and runs twice a week between September and February, though the service is not always reliable due to adverse weather conditions.
Cargo boats permit passengers and travel to Mananara,
ÃŽle Sainte Marie,
Tamatave and
Antalaha.
Notable people
*
Jacques Rabemananjara (1913–2005), politician and writer
*
Johanita Ndahimananjara (June 5, 1960), medical practitioner and politician
Nature
*see:
Masoala National Park and
Nosy Mangabe;
*Masoala Makira Bay of Antongil, commonly known as
MaMaBay
Gallery
FIZONO - MADAGASCAR.jpg,
SAHAMADIA - MAROANTSETRA - MADAGASCAR.jpg,
Port Maroantsetra, Madagascar.jpg,
Coquillage, Maroantsetra Madagascar.jpg,
Lowland_rainforest,_Masoala_National_Park,_Madagascar_(4026784053).jpg,
References
{{Authority control
Cities in Madagascar
Populated places in Analanjirofo