18°52S 47°30E, pop (2000e) 1 076 000. Capital of Madagascar, on a ridge in the EC part of the island; altitude c.1350 m/4400 ft; divided into upper and lower towns; birthplace of François Bayle; airport; railway; university (1955); textiles, tobacco, leather, food processing; two cathedrals, Queen's palace, Ambohitsorahitra palace, museum of art and archaeology, Zoma market, casinos, Mohamasina sports stadium and racecourses.
Antanànarìvo (pronounced IPA [æntəˌnænəˈɹiːvoʊ] or [ɑːntəˌnɑːnəˈɹiːvoʊ]), population 1,403,449 (2001 census), is the capital of Madagascar, in Antananarivo province. The city occupies a commanding position, being built on the summit and slopes of a long and narrow rocky ridge, which extends north and south for about 2½ miles and rising at its highest point to 690 ft. The city is located at 18°55' South, 47°31' East (-18.916667, 47.516667), 135 miles west-southwest of Tamatave, the principal seaport of the island, with which it is connected by railway, and for about 60 miles along the coastal lagoons, a service of small steamers.
History
Antananarivo was founded about 1625 by king Andrianjaka and takes its name (the City of the Thousand) from the number of soldiers Andrianjaka assigned to guarding it. The conquests of King Radama I made Antananarivo the capital of almost all of Madagascar.Until 1869 all buildings within the city proper were of wood or rushes, but even then it possessed several timber palaces of considerable size, the largest being 120 ft.
Since the introduction of stone and brick, the whole city has been rebuilt and now contains numerous structures of some architectural pretension, the royal palaces, the houses formerly belonging to the prime minister and nobles, the French residency, the Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, several stone churches, as well as others of brick, colleges, schools, hospitals, courts of justice and other government buildings, and hundreds of good dwellings.
Present day
The city was captured by the French in 1895 and incorporated into their Madagascar protectorate. Since the French conquest, good roads have been constructed throughout the city, broad flights of steps connect places too steep for the formation of carriage roads, and the central space, called Andohalo, has become a handsome place, with walks and terraces, flower-beds and trees. A small park has been laid out near the residency, and the planting of trees and the formation of gardens in various parts of the city give it a bright and attractive appearance.
Antanànarìvo means "The City of a Thousand" (arivo means a thousand).
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