Antsiranana is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 43,406 km<sup>2</sup>. 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, Antakarana, Tsimihety, Antemoro, Betsimisaraka, Antandroy, etc.
History
thumb|left|Warships and British merchant ships in the Antsiranana harbor after the [[Vichy France|French had surrendered on 13 May 1942]]
A major battle took place at Diego-Suárez (now Antsiranana), the largest city in Antsiranana Province, in May 1942. "Fierce fighting" in the area saw over 500 Allied casualties. On May 29, Japanese submarine I-10 surfaced off the coast and launched a Nakajima A6M2-N reconnaissance aircraft over the port. Operation Ironclad was relaunched, after being stalled, on June 22 to counterattack, with supporting forces from the East African Brigade Group and later the Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade in July.
Geography
Antsiranana Province bordered Toamasina Province to the southeast and Mahajanga Province to the southwest. The province has been described as being "virtually isolated", because of Mt Tsaratanana, the highest peak, being situated in it at above sea level. The valleys are fertile, with tropical crops cultivated. There is a natural harbour at Antsiranana which contains a significant naval base. With an average annual rainfall of about , Sanford's brown lemur (Eulemur sanfordi) and other mammal species. Species of Podocarpus humbertii is found in dry lowland deciduous forest, sub-humid forest, and in wooded heath on mountain summits of gneiss and granite in the province between 1600 and 2410 metres.
A large bay, known as the Bay of Antisiranana forms part of the coastline in the north. Rich in biodiversity, in recent decades it has become a hotspot for conservationists. A number of Catholic schools set up by missionaries in the province are still scattered about.
Rural poverty is a major problem in the region, with 69.2% of the population reported to be suffering in 2001 according to reports by the International Monetary Fund. An unusual percentage of children in the province have been reported to be suffering from anemia, as high as 70% in some parts.
References
mg:Antsiranana