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ANTANANARIVO

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 89 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ANTANANARIVO , i.e. "See also:

town of a thousand" (Fr. spelling Tananarive), the See also:capital of See also:Madagascar, situated centrally as regards the length of the See also:island, but only about 90 M. distant from the eastern See also:coast, in 18° 55' S., 47 30' E. It is 135 M. W.S.W. of See also:Tamatave, the See also:principal seaport of the island, with which it is connected by railway, and for about 6o m. along the coast lagoons, a service of small steamers. The See also:city occupies a commanding position, being chiefly built on the See also:summit and slopes of a See also:long and narrow rocky See also:ridge, which extends See also:north and See also:south for about 21 m., dividing to the north in a Y-shape, and rising at its highest point to 690 ft. above the extensive See also:rice See also:plain to the See also:west, which is itself 4060 ft. above See also:sea-level. For long only the principal See also:village of the See also:Hova chiefs, Antananarivo advanced in importance as those chiefs made themselves sovereigns of the greater See also:part of Madagascar, until it became a town of some 8o,000 inhabitants. Until 1869 all buildings within the city proper were of See also:wood or See also:rush, but even then it possessed several See also:timber palaces of considerable See also:size, the largest being 120 ft. high. These See also:crown the summit of the central portion of the ridge; and the largest See also:palace, with its lofty roof and towers, is the most conspicuous See also:object from every point of view. Since the introduction of See also:stone and See also:brick, the whole city has been rebuilt and now contains numerous structures of some architectural pre-tension, the royal palaces, the houses formerly belonging to the See also:prime See also:minister and nobles, the See also:French residency, the See also:Anglican and See also:Roman See also:Catholic cathedrals, several stone churches, as well as others of brick, colleges, See also:schools, hospitals, courts of See also:justice and other See also:government buildings, and hundreds of See also:good dwelling-houses. Since the French See also:conquest in 1895 good roads have been constructed throughout the city, broad flights of steps connect places too steep for the formation of See also:carriage roads, and the central space, called Andohalo, has become a handsome See also:place, with walks and terraces, See also:flower-beds and trees. A small See also:park has been laid out near the residency, and the planting of trees and the formation of gardens in various parts of the city give it a See also:bright and attractive See also:appearance. See also:Water is obtained from springs at the See also:foot of the See also:hill, but it is proposed to bring an abundant See also:supply from the See also:river Ikopa, which skirts the capital to the south and west.

The See also:

population, including that of the suburbs, is 69,000 (1907). The city is guarded by two forts built on hills to the See also:east and south-west respectively. Including an Anglican and a Roman Catholic See also:cathedral, there are about fifty churches in the city and its suburbs, as well as a See also:Mahommedan See also:mosque. (J. Si.") `ANTARA See also:IBN SHADDAD, Arabian poet and See also:warrior of the 6th See also:century, was famous both for his See also:poetry and his adventurous See also:life. His See also:chief poem is contained in the Ma'allak4t. The See also:account of his life forms the basis of a long and extravagant See also:romance. His See also:father Shaddad was a soldier, his See also:mother Zabtlba a See also:negro slave. Neglected at first, he soon claimed See also:attention and respect for himself, and by his remarkable See also:personal qualities and courage in See also:battle he gained his freedom and the See also:acknowledgment of his father. He took part in the See also:great See also:war between the related tribes of Abs and Dhubyan, which began over a contest of horses and was named after them the war of Dallis and Ghabra. He died in a fight against the tribe of Tai. His poems, which are chiefly concerned with fighting or with his love for Abla, are published in W.

Ahlwardt's The Diwans of the six See also:

ancient Arabic Poets (See also:London, 1870); they have also been published separately at See also:Beirut (1888). As regards their genuineness, cf. W. Ahlwardt's Bemerkungen caber See also:die Aechtheit der See also:alien arabischen Gedichte (Greifswald, 1872), pp.50 if. The Romance of `Antar (Sirat 'Antar ibn Shaddad) is a See also:work which was long handed down by oral tradition only, has grown to immense proportions and has been published in 32 vols. at See also:Cairo, 1307 (A.D. 1887), and in Io vols. at Beirut, 1871. It was partly translated by Terrick See also:Hamilton under the See also:title 'Antar, a Bedoueen Romance (4 vols., London, 1820). For an account of the poet and his See also:works see H. Thorbeckes, Antarah, ein vorislamischer Dichter (See also:Leipzig, 1867), and cf. the See also:Book of Songs (see ABULFARAJ), vol. vii. pp. 148-153. (G. W.

End of Article: ANTANANARIVO

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