"In the central highlands " a Faritanin' Antananarivo Travel Page by Norali

This little page to introduce Faritanin' Antananarivo and its cities.

Well, this province lies in the central highlands (700m-1500m altitude). It is the only one province of the island that does not have access to the sea. It is inhabited by Merina people ("those who live in the heights").

It comprehends capital city, Antananarivo as well as Antsirabe, Mantasoa. Both are areas that are dedicated to industry, Antsirabe for nowadays industry and Mantasoa had hosted past glories. See my pages on Antananarivo and Antsirabe cities. I even have a page on VT about the village where I live: it is Malaza. Malaza Avaradrano (: Malaza North Bank because located North of the Ikopa river).

Apart from that, there are those royal cities that played huge role in Merina and Madagascar histories. The most prestigious one is Ambohimanga. Click to view the page on this city that is located very close to my homeplace. Well, in fact, my village, Malaza, is part of Ambohimanga Rova municipality.

Landscapes are made of those: ricefields plains at the foot of rocky hills. The charm of Imerina region is not in the lush forest neither in desert and canyons. It is rather in mountains and hills (tanety), Ankaratra massif (2700m), plains, steppes, ricefields and the people.

What impresses me most, while tripping in the Highlands, is the view of lunar landscape in Andringitra massif. Mountains are huge and have those grey rocks and menhirs on their sides. See below Tlogues for that.

And rivers run through it! Ikopa is the biggest in Tana province.

Lakes and rivers are common to this area. Volcano lakes, sometimes, esp. in ntsirabe area. Beware of fady (interdicts) near some sacred lakes.

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Red earth enclosure walls, red brick-houses: Tana

Red earth enclosure walls

Don't forget, red earth, red-earth-brick houses and enclosure walls.

Enclosure walls, tamboho use to protect hamlets, smallers properties from assaulters.

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Hills and cracks

Hills and earth cracks

Highlands are made of those too. At the bottom of cracks run rivers sometimes. Small "villages" of few houses are located in there as well.

This province is the most populated in Madagascar though, outside cities like Tana, Antsirabe, Mantasoa and Ambatolampy, it is quite empty.