Take a trip to Antananarivo on your Madagascar vacation.
When travelling on a Madagascar vacation, situated inland, about 145 km (90 mi) from Madagascar’s east coast Antananarivo, the country’s capital and its largest city. Unlike many other capitals found in southern Africa, Antananarivo was already considered a major city before colonialism reached Madagascar.
Antananarivo was founded in the early 1600s and earned the name “The City of the Thousand” from the number of soldiers that were assigned to guard it. The city was captured by the French in 1895 bringing it into France’s Madagascar protectorate. When Madagascar achieved independence in 1960, Antananarivo remained the capital city and began to grow at a rapid pace.
Antananarivo is a unique city offering equally unique architecture. It is not uncommon to see a blend of wooden houses and modern office buildings as well as structures built in a traditional French colonial style. The best way to experience this capital city is on foot allowing for opportunities to visit markets and to see the sights when travelling to Madagascar.
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