Antsiranana
Antsiranana (änt'sērä'nānä), formerly Diégo-Suarez (dē-ā'gō-swär'ĕs), town (1993 pop. 45,967), N Madagascar, on Antsiranana Bay. The bay, an arm of the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's finest natural harbors; its location, however, has hindered its development as a major port. Antsiranana is a transshipment point between coastal and ocean vessels, coffee, corn, peanuts, and cattle being the items of export. There are saltworks nearby. The bay was visited by Diogo Soares, the Portuguese explorer, in 1543. The area was ceded to France in 1885, at which time the town became the capital of the French colony; France maintained a naval base there from 1901 to 1972.
Dialing Code:
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The telephone dialing code for: Diego Suarez, Madagascar
The country code is: 261
The city code is: 8
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Antsiranana
Antsiranana (Malagasy: Antsiran̈ana Malagasy pronunciation: [antsʲˈraŋanə̥]), named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.
Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.
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Transports
Antsiranana has a natural harbour, but the remote location, and, until recently, a bad road to the south, has made it rather unimportant for freight traffic.
History
The place was named for Diogo Soares, a Portuguese navigator who visited the bay in 1543.[1]
In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which desired it as a coaling station for steamships. After the first Franco-Hova War, Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on December 17, 1885 giving France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nossi-Be and Ste. Marie de Madagascar.
The colony's administration was subsumed into that of Madagascar in 1896.
The Second Pacific Squadron of Imperial Russia anchored and was resupplied at Diego-Suarez on its way to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.
Diego Suárez was one of the points of invasion for Allied forces when they captured Madagascar during 1942. There were fears that Japan would pressure Vichy France into granting use of Madagascar in much the same way as French Indo-China during the previous year. Consequently an invasion of the island was launched. Diego Suarez was selected as the initial invasion point due to its superlative harbour and the fact that it was the seat of many important officials. This was also the site of an attack by Japanese midget submarines on the British fleet.
France continued to use the city as a military base after the Malagasy independence 1960 until the socialist revolution of 1973.
Postage stamps
Main article: Postage stamps of Diego-Suárez
References
- ^ Pierre Van Den Boogaerde, Shipwrecks of Madagascar, p.40
See also
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Coordinates: 12°16′S 49°17′E / 12.267°S 49.283°E
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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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