Antsirabe () is the third largest city in

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and the capital of the

Vakinankaratra Vakinankaratra is a region in central Madagascar. The capital of the region is Antsirabe. Vakinankaratra covers an area of , and had a population of 2,074,358 in 2018. History The kingdom of Vakinankaratra, known as the kingdom of the river Andra ...

region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014. In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively cool climate (like the rest of the central region), its industry and the high concentration of

pulled rickshaw A pulled rickshaw (from Japanese ) is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people. In recent times the use of human-powered rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many coun ...

s or ''pousse-pousse''. It attracts around 30,000 tourists a year

Etymology and names

The

Malagasy Malagasy may refer to: *Someone or something from Madagascar *Malagasy people *Malagasy language *Malagasy Republic *Related to the culture of Madagascar See also *Madagascar (disambiguation) Madagascar is an island country located off the east ...

name ''Antsirabe'' literally means "the place of much salt". The city has the nicknames ''ville d'eau'' ('city of water' in French) and ''visy gasy'' or ''le Vichy malgache'' ('the Malagasy

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of V ...

' in

and French respectively), referring to the presence of multiple

thermal spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

s in the area.

History

The area where Antsirabe is found today was part of the Kingdom of Andrantsay which existed from the early 1600s until it was incorporated into the

Imerina The Merina Kingdom, or Kingdom of Madagascar, officially the Kingdom of Imerina (–1897), was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 19th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from I ...

kingdom in the early 1800s. The area was a farming region, with production of rice, vegetables and fruit. The first Norwegian (Lutheran) missionaries arrived in 1868.

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

and

sulphur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

were exploited in the area at this time. The city was founded by Norwegian missionary T.G. Rosaas in 1872 as a hill station to serve as a retreat centre because of the much cooler climate. The thermal baths were opened in 1917. In 1886 the Norwegian mission established the

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...

hospital of Ambohipiantrana and it quickly developed into a village for lepers. The colonial government decided to make it the leper hospital of Vakinankaratra and the around 950 people with the illness lived there in 1904. During the

French colonial rule The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...

the centre of the

region shifted from the Andrantsay capital of Fivavahana to Antsirabe. In 1921 it succeeded

Betafó Tatamarina Lake in Betafo Betafo ("many roofs") is a town and urban municipality in Vakinankaratra Region in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. It is surrounded by volcanic peaks and is situated 22 km from Antsirabe. It is a typical Merina tow ...

as the seat of a Catholic (pre-diocesan) Apostolic vicariate, and was promoted to a bishopric in 1955.

Population

Languages

The majority of the population belongs to the

Merina The Merina people (also known as the Imerina, Antimerina, or Hova) are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar.Merina ...

ethnic group, which speaks a highland dialect of

. As in other urban areas of Madagascar, French is widely understood.

Places of worship

The

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, are predominantly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

churches and temples: *

Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar ( mg, Fiangonan'i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara; FJKM) is the second-largest Christian denomination in Madagascar. The current officers include the Rev. Ammi Irako Andriamahazosoa, President; the Rev. Jean ...

Malagasy Lutheran Church The Malagasy Lutheran Church (in Malagasy it is known as FLM: ''Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy'') is one of the most important Christian churches in Madagascar, established in 1950 by the unification of 1,800 Lutheran congregations in central and so ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

Association of Bible Baptist Churches in Madagascar The Association of Bible Baptist Churches in Madagascar (french: Association des églises bibliques baptistes de Madagascar , Malagasy: ''Fivondronan’ny Fiangonana Batista Biblika eto Madagasikara'') is a Baptist Christian denomination, affil ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Antsirabe The Roman Catholic Diocese of Antsirabe ( la, Antsiraben(sis)) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Antananarivo (one of five in Madagascar; in the national capital), yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for t ...

There are also Muslim mosques.

Government

Antsirabe -Grande Avenue with station building

Antsirabe is an urban commune or municipality (''kaominina''). The borders of the commune are identical with those of the

Antsirabe I District Antsirabe I is a district in, and capital of, Vakinankaratra Region, Madagascar. The borders of the district are identical to those of the city and urban commune of Antsirabe. The urban district of Antsirabe I borders the district of Betafo to t ...

. Antsirabe is also the capital of the

region. Since April 2012, the city is governed by a "Special Delegation" with three members: Razafindrainiony Lala Marie Béryl, the previous Head of

is President of the Special Delegation while Randrianarison Olivier from the TIM party and Rakotomalala Olivier from the AS party are First and Second Deputy presidents, respectively. Between November 2011 and April 2012 the position of the Mayor of Antsirabe was vacant.

Olga Ramalason Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russia, ...

of the TIM party was Mayor until she was appointed Minister of Commerce in

Omer Beriziky Jean Omer Beriziky (born 9 September 1950

's government of consensus in November 2011. The city council was elected in November 2003.

Architecture

Several buildings in central Antsirabe date back to the first decades of the 20th century. These include the thermal bath centre (opened in 1917), Hôtel des Thermes (1922), the railway station (1923), and the residence for French retirees (1934). Other sights are ''la Stèle de l'Indépendance'' (the Stele of Independence) on Independence Avenue and the two public markets: Antsenakely ("The Small Market") and the bigger Asabotsy.

Geography and climate

Antsirabe is situated at an altitude of about , making its

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cwb''), similar to Brazilian high cities of the

southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

. During the winter the temperature can fall below at night, and Antsirabe has recorded the lowest temperature in Madagascar at . May to September form the coldest and driest part of the year with average monthly temperatures between and and an average number of days with precipitation per month of 1–2. From November to March the climate is warmer and wetter with on average 12 to 17 days with precipitation per month and average temperature of approximately . April and October have average temperatures of and respectively and 5–6 days of rain. The Ankaratra volcanic field covers an area about 100 km long from Antsirabe northwards to

Arivonimamo Arivonimamo is a city (commune urbaine) in Itasy Region, in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Arivonimamo is connected by the National Road No.1 to Antananarivo (50 km in the east) and Tsiroanomandidy (west). The Antananarivo international ...

where highest peak reaches . This volcanic field is "the most prominent and volcanologically diverse (sic) on Madagascar". Several water-filled craters are found in the area around Antsirabe, including

Lake Tritriva Lake Tritriva is a volcanic lake in southwest-central Madagascar, in the region of Vakinankaratra, Vàkinankàratra, located near the village of Belazao. In a distance of 15 km from Antsirabe, it is easy to reach by the Route nationale 34 (Madagasc ...

to the south-west. There are hot springs which are utilised by the Ranomafana thermal bath in the city.

Bodies of Water

(15 km from Antsirabe) *

Lake Andraikiba A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

(7 km from Antsirabe) The

Mania River The Mania River is a river in Madagascar that flows from the central mountains of the island, emptying into the Mozambique Channel. The region of Amoron'i Mania is named from this river. Main affluents from the left are the Ivato, Imorona, ...

is south of Antsirabe.

Economy

Textile (COTONA, Cottonline, Aquarelle), Beverages (Star Brasseries, Malto), Food industry ( Socolait, Tsarafy), Tobacco (SACIMEM), Mineral water (Sté. des Eaux Minerales, Ranovisy), soap production (Soba). An

Export Processing Zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cus ...

is located in Antsirabe and the town is the home of several factories, including Star Brasseries (beverages), Cotona (textiles) and Kobama (grain).

Infrastructure

The city is at the end of the TA (Tananarive-Antsirabe) railway line, part of the Network North railway, which links Antsirabe to the capital and the port city of

Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...

. The line is operated by

Madarail The government of Madagascar has granted Madarail a 25-year concession to operate the northern of the two national rail lines. The company is investing in Madagascar's rail system. Operations began in 2003 with one locomotive; 7 more locomoti ...

, currently only with freight trains. The line has been extended southwards through Vinaninkarena, but this extension is not in use. National road 7 (RN7) connects the city to

Antananarivo Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...

in the north and to

Fianarantsoa Fianarantsoa is a city (commune urbaine) in south central Madagascar, and is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region. History It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kin ...

and

Toliara Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of national capital Antananarivo. The current spelling of the name was adopted ...

to the south. Antsirabe is connected with

Morondava Morondava (, from mg, morona lava "long coast") is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at . Its population as of the 2018 census, was 53,510. Population T ...

on the west coast through RN34 and RN 35. Public transport to and from Antsirabe are provided by taxi-brousses (share taxis) and buses. Most taxi-brousses operate from the main bus station in the north of the city. Within the city public transport consists of small buses and numerous pulled rickshaws ("pousse-pousse"), as well as

cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...

("cyclo-pousse"),

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...

("touktouks") and private taxis. The pousse-pousse is something of an emblem of the city; 5600 of them were recorded in 2006. There is also an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

Sports

Football: *

FC Vakinankaratra Vakinankaratra FC is a Malagasy football club based in Antsirabe, Vakinankaratra in central Madagascar. The team plays in the THB Champions League the top division of Malagasy football. In 2017 the team won the regional championship. Reference ...

FC Jirama Antsirabe FC Jirama Antsirabe is a Malagasy football club based in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The team currently plays in the Malagasy Second Division. Stadium Currently the team plays at the Antsirabe Stadium.GNBC

Education

The Institute of Higher Education of Antsirabe Vakinankaratra is the regional branch of the

University of Antananarivo University of Antananarivo (french: Université d'Antananarivo) is the primary public university of Madagascar, located in the capital Antananarivo. History The university traces its founding to 16 December 1955 and the formation of the Instit ...

Museums

The Military Academy of Antsirabe hosts the

Akamia The Akamia museum is a museum located in Antsirabe Antsirabe () is the third largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014. In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively ...

museum, a military museum.

Twin cities

Antsirabe is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Vacoas-Phoenix Vacoas-Phoenix () also known as French: ''Villes Jumelles'' (Twin Cities), is a town in Mauritius, located in the Plaines Wilhems District, the eastern part also lies in the Moka District. The town is administered by the Municipal Council of Vac ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

Montluçon Montluçon (; oc, Montleçon ) is a commune in central France on the river Cher. It is the largest commune in the Allier department, although the department's prefecture is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Levallois-Perret Levallois-Perret () is a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department and Île-de-France region of north-central France. It lies some from the centre of Paris in the north-western suburbs of the French capital. It is the most densely populated ...

/ref> Antsirabe has collaborations with: *

Stavanger Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Notable locals

, mayor of Antsirabe ( TIM) until November 2011 when she became Minister of Commerce *

Mohammed V of Morocco Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mono ...

and his family, including the later

Hassan II Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name * Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

, lived in exile a
Hôtel des Thermes
in Antsirabe in 1955 *

Henri de Laulanie Henri de Laulanié from Poitou, France, joined the Society of Jesus and spent most of his Jesuit life working with rice farmers in Madagascar. He used his training from "Institut National Agronomique" in Paris, from which he graduated in 1938. to ...

, S.J., who developed an agricultural school for the area, where he developed a

System of Rice Intensification A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its environment, is described by its boundaries, structure and purpose and express ...

that has spread worldwide * Members of the folk-pop band

Mahaleo Mahaleo is a folk-pop band from Madagascar that is widely viewed as the most popular Malagasy group of all time. The band was founded by Dama (Rasolofondraosolo Zafimahaleo) with six of his classmates after first performing together during the ...

got their start in Antsirabe as secondary school students.

References

External links

* *
Tourist information for Antsirabe (French)
{{Authority control Cities in Madagascar Populated places in Vakinankaratra Regional capitals in Madagascar