Vakinankaratra is a

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

in central

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 ...

. The capital of the region is

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 cool climate (like the rest of the central region), i ...

. 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 Andrantsay, was founded at the beginning of the 17th century by Andrianony, a prince originally from Alasora, south of

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 ...

. The capital of the kingdom used to be Fivavahana in today's Betafo District. The last ruler of the Kingdom of Andrantsay was Andriamanalinarivo who was on the throne when

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 ...

king Andrianampoinimerina conquered the area with the help of the young prince Radama at the beginning of the 19th century. The territory was integrated into the Merina Kingdom under the new name Vakinankaratra. During the colonial period the centre of the region shifted to

Population

Vakinankaratra is the second most populous region of Madagascar and it has the second highest population density, only beaten by

Analamanga Analamanga is a region in central Madagascar, containing the capital Antananarivo and its surrounding metropolitan area. The region has an area of , and had a population of 3,618,128 in 2018. Administrative divisions Analamanga Region is divided in ...

, where the national capital and biggest city,

, is located. In 2018, Vakinankaratra had a population of 2,074,358 and an average density of 117.0 people per km². The vast 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.

Economy

Vakinankaratra generates 10% of the PIB of Madagascar. There is an important textile industry and it is the principal bassin of legume production of the island. It also supplies 65% of the milk produced in Madagascar. in French): https://lexpress.mg/08/09/2020/filiere-lait-loffre-loin-de-la-demande/ lexpress.mg Filiere Lait/ref>

Geography

Vakinankaratra is situated in the central highlands of Madagascar. The region covers an area of , making it the third least extensive region in Madagascar. It borders the region of Bongolava in the northwest,

Itasy Itasy is a region in central Madagascar. It borders Analamanga region in northeast, Vakinankaratra in south and Bongolava in northwest. The capital of the region is Miarinarivo, and the population was 897,962 in 2018. It is the smallest of all ...

in the north,

in the northeast, Alaotra Mangoro and

Atsinanana Atsinanana is a coastal region in eastern Madagascar. It borders Analanjirofo region in the north, Alaotra-Mangoro in the west, Vakinankaratra and Amoron'i Mania in the southwest, and Vatovavy and Fitovinany in south. The region contains over 2 ...

in the east, Amoron'i Mania in the south, and Menabe to the west. A number of precious minerals are found in Vakinankaratra, including Ferrocolumbite, Liddicoatite, and Londonite.

Protected Area

* Manjakatompo Ankaratra New Protected Area

Administrative divisions

Vakinankaratra Region is divided into seven districts, which are sub-divided into 89 communes. * Ambatolampy District - 19 communes * Antanifotsy District - 13 communes *

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 th ...

- 1 commune * Antsirabe II District - 20 communes * Betafo District - 18 communes *

Faratsiho District Faratsiho is a town in Vakinankaratra Region, Madagascar. It is the capitol of the district of Faratsiho The district covers an area of 2,015 km2, with a total population estimated at 222,922 in 2018. The seat of the district administration is t ...

- 9 communes *

Mandoto District Mandoto is a town, commune and district in Madagascar. It belongs to the Vakinankaratra Region. The population of the district was estimated to be approximately 227,800 in 2018. It was formed by splitting up the district of Betafo District, Betaf ...

- 9 communes

Transport

Airport

Antsirabe Airport 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 cool climate (like the rest of the central region), ...

References

External links

Région Vakinankaratra
Official site in French.
Tourism
Official tourism site of Vakinankaratra. {{Authority control Regions of Madagascar