Maroantsetra , formerly Louisbourg, is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

and domestic seaport in

Analanjirofo Analanjirofo is a region in northeastern Madagascar. Until 2009 it was a part of Toamasina Province. It borders Sava Region to the north, Sofia Region to the west, Alaotra-Mangoro Region to the southwest and Atsinanana Region to the south. The ...

Region,

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, at the northern end of the Bay of Antongil. In 2005 it had a population of 42,529 people.

History

Maurice Benyovszky arrived in Maroantsetra in February 1774. He established a colony here, which was named Louisbourg. A hospital was built as well as a quarantine on

Nosy Mangabe Nosy Mangabe is a small island reserve located in Antongil Bay about 2 km offshore from the town of Maroantsetra in north-east Madagascar. it is accessible by small boat and is part of the larger Masoala National Park complex. It is a tropi ...

island just off the coast.

Geography and climate

Maroantsetra is a coastal town in northeastern Madagascar, approximately by air northeast of

Antananarivo Antananarivo (French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("An ...

. The

Antainambalana River ''Antainambalana'' (Also known as Antainambalan on some maps) is a river in the region of Analanjirofo in north-eastern Madagascar. It flows down from the highlands to flow into the Bay of Antongil and the Indian Ocean near Maroantsetra. History ...

flows into the bay after meandering around the town. It is one of the wettest places in Madagascar due to the trade winds, and receives an average of 138 inches (350 cm) of rain annually.

Landmarks and economy

Maroantsetra is the main point of access to

Masoala National Park Masoala National Park, in northeast Madagascar, is the largest of the island's protected areas. Most of the park is situated in Sava Region and a part in Analanjirofo. Created in 1997, the park protects 2,300 square kilometres of rainforest and ...

and the Nosy Mangabe special reserve.

Transport

The town is served by

Maroantsetra Airport Maroantsetra Airport is an airport in Maroantsetra, Analanjirofo Region, Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), ...

. The National road 5 links the town to

Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...

though its largely unpaved . The ''Melissa Express'' passenger boat operates between the town and Mananara, and further on to

Soanierana Soanierana Ivongo is a rural municipality in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Soanierana Ivongo, which is a part of Analanjirofo Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 26,990 in 2018. Soanierana Ivongo ...

and

Ivongo Ivongo is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Ivohibe, which is a part of Ihorombe Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 5,000 in 2001 commune census. Ivongo has a riverine harbour. On ...

. The trip to Mananara typically takes about three hours and runs twice a week between September and February, though the service is not always reliable due to adverse weather conditions. Cargo boats permit passengers and travel to Mananara,

Île Sainte Marie Nosy Boraha , previously known as Sainte-Marie, main town Ambodifotatra, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2. It has a popul ...

Tamatave Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...

and

Antalaha Antalaha is an urban municipality in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. The population of Antalaha was 67.888 in 2018. Antalaha has a maritime harbour. A local airport serves Antalaha. ...

Notable people

Jacques Rabemananjara Jacques Rabemananjara (23 June 1913 – 1 April 2005) was a Malagasy politician, playwright and poet. He served as a government minister, rising to Vice President of Madagascar. Rabemananjara was said to be the most prolific writer of his negr ...

(1913–2005), politician and writer *

Michel Malo Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

(born 1938), Roman Catholic clergyman and archbishop emeritus of

Antsiranana Antsiranana ( mg, Antsiran̈ana ), named Diego-Suárez prior to 1975, is a city in the far north of Madagascar. Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region. It had an estimated population of 115,015 in 2013. History The bay and city originally u ...

References

{{Authority control Cities in Madagascar Populated places in Analanjirofo