Madagascar Cities

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Madagascar Cities by Population

71 cities shown of 71 total Madagascar cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Antananarivo 1,391,433
2. Toamasina 206,373
3. Fianarantsoa 167,227
4. Mahajanga 154,657
5. Toliara 115,319
6. Antsiranana 82,937
7. Antanifotsy 70,626
8. Ambovombe 66,818
9. Amparafaravola 51,519
10. Fort Dauphin 45,141
11. Ambatondrazaka 43,134
12. Mananara Avaratra 41,209
13. Soavinandriana 40,453
14. Mahanoro 39,879
15. Soanierana Ivongo 39,271
16. Faratsiho 37,563
17. Nosy Varika 37,152
18. Vavatenina 36,916
19. Morondava 36,803
20. Amboasary 36,082
21. Manakara 35,499
22. Antalaha 34,112
23. Ikongo 32,374
24. Manjakandriana 31,840

25. Sambava 31,522
26. Fandriana 31,437
27. Marovoay 31,253
28. Betioky 31,102
29. Ambanja 30,621
30. Ambositra 30,353
31. Tsiombe 29,825
32. Betafo 29,785
33. Moramanga 29,212
34. Ambatolampy 28,461
35. Ambalavao 28,027
36. Mananjary 27,686
37. Tsiroanomandidy 27,060
38. Marolambo 26,160
39. Ambatofinandrahana 25,997
40. Ankazoabo 25,961
41. Ampanihy 25,686
42. Vohibinany 25,311
43. Farafangana 24,764
44. Belo Tsiribihina 23,900
45. Maroantsetra 23,859
46. Vangaindrano 23,523
47. Beloha 23,021
48. Andoany 22,680

49. Ambato Boeny 22,529
50. Arivonimamo 21,982
51. Sakaraha 21,826
52. Antsohihy 21,290
53. Fenoarivo Atsinanana 21,036
54. Andapa 20,798
55. Miandrivazo 20,631
56. Vondrozo 19,949
57. Andilamena 19,750
58. Fenoarivo Be 19,605
59. Anjozorobe 19,027
60. Beroroha 18,632
61. Ifanadiana 17,543
62. Ihosy 16,990
63. Bealanana 16,948
64. Tsaratanana 16,761
65. Ankazobe 15,722
66. Ikalamavony 15,601
67. Ambilobe 14,635
68. Ambodifotatra 11,830
69. Andovoranto 10,429
70. Mahavelona 7,987
71. Anakao 3,000

Madagascar History

The written history of Madagascar begins in the 7th century, when Arab Muslims established trading posts along the northwest coast. During the Middle Ages, the island's chiefs began to extend their power through trade with Indian Ocean neighbors, notably East Africa, the Middle East and India. Large chiefdoms began to dominate considerable areas of the island. Among these were the Sakalava chiefdoms of the Menabe, centred in what is now the town of Morondava, and of Boina, centred in what is now the provincial capital of Mahajanga. The influence of the Sakalava extended across what are now the provinces of Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara.

European contact began in the year 1500, when Portuguese sea captain Diogo Dias sighted the island after his ship separated from a fleet going to India. The Portuguese continued trading with the islanders and named the island as So Loureno"". In 1666, Francois Caron, the Director General of the newly formed French East India Company, sailed to Madagascar. The Company failed to establish a colony on Madagascar but established ports on the nearby islands of Bourbon and Ile-de-France. In the late 17th century, the French established trading posts along the east coast."

From about 1774 to 1824, Madagascar was a favourite haunt for pirates, including Americans, one of whom brought Malagasy rice to South Carolina. Many European sailors were shipwrecked on the coasts of the island, among them Robert Drury whose journal is one of the only written depictions of life in southern Madagascar during the 18th century.

Beginning in the 1790s, Merina rulers succeeded in establishing hegemony over most of the island, including the coast. In 1817, the Merina ruler and the British governor of Mauritius concluded a treaty abolishing the slave trade, which had been important in Madagascar's economy. In return, the island received British military and financial assistance. British influence remained strong for several decades, during which the Merina court was converted to Presbyterianism, Congregationalism and Anglicanism.

With the domination of the Indian Ocean by the Royal Navy and the end of the Arab slave trade, the western Sakalava lost their power to the emerging Merina state. The Betsimisaraka of the east coast also unified, but this union soon faltered.

France invaded Madagascar in 1883, in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War seeking to restore property that had been confiscated from French citizens. At the war's end, Madagascar ceded Antsiranana on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000 gold stripers francs to the heirs of Joseph-Franois Lambert. In 1890, the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French protectorate.