Antsiranana

Antsiranana (Antsiranana antsjˈraŋanə̥), named Diego-Suarez 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 of Antsiranana: At the beginning of the 16th century, a Portuguese squadron of 13 ships crisscrossed the Indian Ocean; One of these ships went adrift, and its captain, Diego Diaz, was therefore the first European to discover the Big Island on August 10, 1500. In February 1506, Admiral Herman Suarez recognized the place and so Antomabokala, former capital of Ankarana, acquired its name of Diego Suarez, which comes from the contraction of the first name of the captain and the name of the Admiral. In 1635, the bay was mentioned for the first time under this name by the French pilot Berthelot, author of an oriental map of Africa and Madagascar. In 1824, the bay was explored by the English hydrographer Owen, then in 1833, Captain Bigeault, commandant of La Nièvre, traveled the North East coast to carry out hydrographic surveys. In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which desired it as a coaling station for steamships. After the first Franco-Hova War, Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on December 17, 1885, granting France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nosy-Be and Ste. Marie de Madagascar. The French took possession of their new colony and the Bay of Diego Suarez (also called Bay of Antomboko at that time). It was then called Etablissement français de Diego-Suarez (French Establishment of Diego-Suarez) and was placed under the command of Frigate captain Caillet who is the founder of the city of Diego Suarez. The first barracks were built at Cap Diego. The first habitants of the new colony were Creoles from Réunion & Mauritius, as well as from the French possession of Toamasina, Nosy Be, Ile Sainte-Marie, Mayotte and Mahajanga. Run away slaves (Makoas), Antankarana and Sakalava made up another big part of the population.