Fianarantsoa

Fianarantsoa is a city (commune urbaine) in south central Madagascar, and is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region.

Fianarantsoa
Upper town Fianarantsoa
Coat of arms
Fianarantsoa
Location of Fianarantsoa in Madagascar
Coordinates: 21°27′13″S 047°05′09″E
Country Madagascar
ProvinceFianarantsoa
RegionHaute Matsiatra
DistrictFianarantsoa
Founded1830
Area
 • Total86.05 km2 (33.22 sq mi)
Elevation
1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population
 (2013)
 • Total190,318
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,700/sq mi)
Time zoneEast African Time (GMT+3)
ClimateCwb

History

Historical overview

It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms.

Fianarantsoa means "Good education" in Malagasy. It is a cultural and intellectual center for the whole island. It is home to some of the oldest Protestant and Lutheran cathedrals on the island, the oldest theological seminary (also Lutheran), as well as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa (seated in the Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus). The city of "good education" also boasts a university named after it and built in 1972. Fianarantsoa is considered to be the capital of wine in Madagascar, because of the presence of many wine industries in the city.

Recent history

Fianarantsoa has been known for its political activism and was one of the "hot spots" during the political crisis in 2002. Students of the University of Fianarantsoa have a reputation for sympathizing with radical leftist groups. The mayor of Fianarantsoa comes from the MFM political party whose colors are based on the anarcho-syndicalist flag.

Fianarantsoa was placed by the World Monuments Fund on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites because many of the buildings in the old town are in dire need of repair. Most of the repairs are relatively easy, and WMF hopes that the listing will attract attention to fund the necessary repairs to keep the old town looking beautiful.

Geography

Overview

It is at an average altitude of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), and has a population of 190,318 (2013 estimate).[1]

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as subtropical highland (Cwb).[2]

Climate data for Fianarantsoa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 26.2
(79.2)		 26.1
(79.0)		 25.3
(77.5)		 24.5
(76.1)		 22.6
(72.7)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.7
(67.5)		 20.4
(68.7)		 23.0
(73.4)		 25.0
(77.0)		 26.1
(79.0)		 26.3
(79.3)		 23.8
(74.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 20.8
(69.4)		 20.8
(69.4)		 20.0
(68.0)		 18.9
(66.0)		 16.7
(62.1)		 14.5
(58.1)		 14.0
(57.2)		 14.4
(57.9)		 16.2
(61.2)		 18.3
(64.9)		 19.7
(67.5)		 20.4
(68.7)		 17.9
(64.2)
Average low °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0)		 17.2
(63.0)		 16.5
(61.7)		 15.2
(59.4)		 12.7
(54.9)		 10.5
(50.9)		 10.1
(50.2)		 10.2
(50.4)		 11.2
(52.2)		 13.4
(56.1)		 15.3
(59.5)		 16.6
(61.9)		 13.8
(56.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 227.8
(8.97)		 220.8
(8.69)		 137.6
(5.42)		 46.4
(1.83)		 27.3
(1.07)		 16.5
(0.65)		 24.6
(0.97)		 21.4
(0.84)		 18.0
(0.71)		 61.5
(2.42)		 124.9
(4.92)		 241.4
(9.50)		 1,168.2
(45.99)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 15 14 13 7 5 5 6 6 3 6 11 16 107
Mean monthly sunshine hours 191.1 171.0 175.4 184.8 186.0 165.9 163.5 191.1 220.5 230.4 208.0 190.1 2,277.8
Source: NOAA[3]

Transport

The city is at the endpoint of the Fianarantsoa-Côte Est Railway. There is also an airport.

Education
  • Université de Fianarantsoa
  • A regional centre for distance education (CRTE) of the Centre National de Télé-Enseignement de Madagascar (CNETMAD)

French international schools:

  • Collège français René-Cassin[4][5]

Personalities

See also

References
  1. Institut National de la Statistique, Antananarivo.
  2. "Climate: Fianarantsoa - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  3. "Fianarantsoa Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  4. "Collège français René-Cassin." AEFE. Retrieved on May 7, 2015.
  5. Home page (Archive). Collège français René-Cassin. Retrieved on May 7, 2015.

Fianarantsoa travel guide from Wikivoyage

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