Sava is a

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

in northern

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 ...

. Its capital is

Sambava Sambava is a city and commune (commune urbaine; mg, kaominina) at the east coast of northern Madagascar. It is the capital of Sambava District and Sava Region. The population of the commune was 84,039 in as of the 2018 commune census. Infrastr ...

. Until 2009 Sava belonged to

Antsiranana Province Antsiranana is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 43,406 km2. It had a population of 1,188,425 (July, 2001). Its capital was Antsiranana. A diversity of ethnic groups are found in the province, including Anjoaty, Sakalava, Antaka ...

. The region is situated at the northern part of the east coast of Madagascar. It is bordered by the region Diana to the north,

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

to the west, and

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 c ...

to the south. As of 2018, its population was 1,123,013 and the total area is . The region contains wild areas such as

Marojejy National Park Marojejy National Park () is a national park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers and is centered on the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of . Access to the area around the massif was restricted ...

. The name of the region is composed of the initial letters of its four principal towns:

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. ...

, Iharana (Vohimaro), and

Andapa Andapa is a town and commune ( mg, firaisana) in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Andapa, which is a part of Sava Region. According to 2001 commune census the population of Andapa was 27,618. Andapa is served by a local airpor ...

. Each of these towns claims itself the World Capital of

Vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

, a spice of which the region is the largest producer of in the world (especially the highly sought-after Bourbon vanilla variety). The economic importance of vanilla cultivation in the Sava Region encouraged the reconstruction of the road that connects the towns, called the ''Route de la vanille'' (The Vanilla Route), in the latter half of 2005. However, due to the volatile fluctuations in the price of vanilla, in turn often caused by the dramatic cyclones occurring in the southwestern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

, many poor vanilla farmers in the Sava Region have periodically been forced to resort to the mostly illegal logging of ebony, palisander, and rosewood.

Administrative divisions

Sava Region is divided into four districts, which are subdivided into 75 communes: *

Andapa District Andapa District is a Districts of Madagascar, district in northern Madagascar. It is a part of Sava Region and borders the districts of Ambilobe District, Ambilobe and Sambava District, Sambava to the north, Antalaha District, Antalaha to the ea ...

- 17 communes *

Antalaha District Antalaha District is a district in northeastern Madagascar. The district contains the Masoala peninsula, and is limited by Antongil Bay in south-west and Indian Ocean on east. It is a part of Sava Region and borders the districts of Sambava int ...

- 14 communes *

Sambava District Sambava District is a Districts of Madagascar, district in northern Madagascar. It is a part of Sava Region and borders the districts of Antalaha District, Antalaha to the south, Andapa District, Andapa to the south-west, Ambilobe District, Ambi ...

- 25 communes *

Vohemar District Vohemar District (also Vohimarina District) is a district in northern Madagascar. It is a part of Sava Region and borders the districts of Sambava to the south, Ambilobe to the west and Antsiranana II to the north. The area is and the populati ...

(a.k.a. Iharana District) - 19 communes

Transport

Airports

Andapa Airport Andapa is a town and commune ( mg, firaisana) in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Andapa, which is a part of Sava Region. According to 2001 commune census the population of Andapa was 27,618. Andapa is served by a local airport ...

* Antalaha Airport *

Doany Airport Doany is a commune ( mg, kaominina) in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Andapa, which is a part of Sava Region. According to 2001 census the population of Doany was 19,928. Doany is served by a local airport. Primary and junior ...

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

* Iharana Airport

Protected areas

Loky Manambato Loky-Manambato is a protected area in northern Madagascar. The protected area covers 2484.09 km2,UNEP-WCMC (2022)Protected Area Profile for Loky Manambatofrom the World Database on Protected Areas. Accessed 18 September 2022. and includes a bloc ...

New Protected Area * Makirovana Tsihomanaomby New Protected Area *

*Part of

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 ...

* Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve * Part of Makira Natural Park *Part of COMATSA Avaratra New Protected Area *Part of COMATSA Atsimo New Protected Area * Macolline Park (private)

Rivers

The main rivers of the Sava Region are (north to south): *

Manambato River Manambato is a municipality (french: commune, mg, kaominina) in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Ambilobe, which is a part of Diana Region. It is situated at the Mahavavy River. According to 2001 census the population of Manambato was ...

* Manambaty River * Fanambana River * Bemarivo River * Androranga River *

Lokoho River The Lokoho River is located in northern Madagascar. It drains to the north-east coast, into the Indian Ocean. It drains the southern half of the Marojejy Massif. Its mouth is situated 25 km in the south of Sambava Sambava is a city and c ...

Onive River The Onive River is a river in eastern Madagascar. It flows down from the Ankaratra massif, and is the largest tributary of the Mangoro River.Campbell, GwynnDavid Griffiths and the Missionary "History of Madagascar" p. 488-89 (Brill 2012) (citing ...

Ankavanana The Ankavanana is a river located in northern Madagascar in the Sava Region. Its sources are south of Andapa, crosses the Route Nationale 5a near Antalaha and flows into the Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's f ...

References

EDBM

External links

Sava Region
– official site * Palms of the summit trail of Marojejy National Park, Sava, MADAGASCAR. Free Download: http://fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/guides/guide/709 {{Authority control Regions of Madagascar