Brief History of Antananarivo
In the native Malagasy language the word Antananarivo means "town of a thousand" It was named by the King Adrianjaka who ruled Madagascar from 1610-1630. Adrianjaka has been considered by many as the first political leader of the Merina people. In the early 1600s he established a fort and a town made of 1,000 soldiers and their families. Before the Merina made settlements there it was known as the "Blue Forest" region, which is the earliest known name for the city. As the city grew bigger it became an important agricultural and military center. When the French took over Madagascar they renamed it to Tananarive. Madagascar gained independence from France in 1960 and changed the name to Antananarivo in 1972.
Antananarivo
Antananarivo is the most populated and biggest city in Madagascar, and is also the Capital of Madagascar. Antananarivo is located on plateau that overlooks the Besiboka and Ikopa Rivers. On the south side of the city there is a man made artificial Lake called Lake Ansoy. Antananarivo has a population of about 3.2 million people with one of the main build ups being the Merina people. Not only is Antananarivo a political center, but also a cultural and economic center. Antananarivo is the main production for the GDP.