| Antsirabe | |||
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| Pousse-pousses in central Antsirabe | |||
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Antsirabe
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Madagascar | ||
| Region | Vakinankaratra | ||
| District | Antsirabe I District | ||
| Founded | 1872 | ||
| Elevation | 1,500 m (4,921 ft) | ||
| Population (2001)[1] | |||
| • Total | 186,253 | ||
Antsirabe (Malagasy [anˌtsiraˈbe]) is the third largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region. The city had an estimated population of about 186,000 in 2001. [1] In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively cool climate, its industry and the high concentration of pulled rickshaws or "pousse-pousses", amongst other things.
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The name Antsirabe translates into "the place of much salt".
Antsirabe is situated at an altitude of about 1,500 m (4,900 ft), ensuring a relatively cool climate. During the winter the temperature can fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at during the night.
May to September form the coldest and dryest part of the year with average monthly temperatures between 14 °C (57 °F) and 17 °C (63 °F) 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 temeperature of about 20 °C (68 °F). April and October have average temperatures of 19.2 °C (66.6 °F) and 18.5 °C (65.3 °F) respectively and 5-6 days of rain. [2]
There are warm springs and a thermal bath in the city. These were especially famous in the 19th century.
Antsirabe is the home several factories, including Tiko (milk and other food products), Star Brasseries (beverages), Cotona (textiles) and Kobama (grain).
The city is at the end of the TA (Tananarive-Antsirabe) railway, currently only with freight trains. The line has been extended southwards through Vinaninkarena, but the extension is not in use. National road 7 (RN7) connects the city to Antananarivo in the north and to Fianarantsoa and Toliara to the south. Antsirabe is connected with Morondava on the west coast through RN34/35.
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.[3]
Within the city public transport consists of small buses and numerous pousse-pousses, as well as cycle rickshaws ("cyclo-pousses"), auto rickshaws ("touktouks") and private taxis. The pousse-pousse is something of an emblem of the city and 5600 of them were recorded in 2006.[4]
A number of Christian denominations are represented in the city. A Catholic cathedral and a Lutheran church are found in the city centre. There are two mosques in the city.
An old Merina area, famadihana (second burial) and family tombs are among common traditional practices.
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 kingdom in the early 1800s. The area was a farming region, with production of rice, vegetables and fruit.[5]
The first Norwegian missionaries arrived in 1868. Limestone and sulphur were exploited in the area at this time. [5]
In 1886 the Norwegian mission established the leper 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.[5]
The city was founded by Norwegian missionary T.G. Rosaas in 1872 to serve as a retreat centre because of the climate. The thermal baths were opened in 1917
During the French colonial rule the centre of the Vakinankaratra region shifted from the Andrantsay capital of Fivavahana to Antsirabe.
Notable events in the first half of the 20th century include the opening of the big hotel "Hôtel des Thermes" in 1922, opening of the train station in 1923, and the completion of the market pavillion Tsenakely in 1938.[5]
Antsirabe is twinned with:
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