Tamnarivo, Or Antananarivo, a city of Madagascar, capital of the province of Imerne in the territory of Ankova, and the residence of the so-called sovereign (now queen) of Madagascar, near the middle of the island, in lat. 18° 56' S., Ion. 47° 28' E.; pop. about 75,000. It is on a long irregular hill in the midst of a highly cultivated valley, 18 m. long by 10 m. wide, and 7,000 ft. above the sea. The houses of the better classes are substantially constructed of wood, with high bamboo roofs thatched with rushes; those of the poorer classes are of split bamboo covered with mats. The palace, on the summit of the hill, is rectangular, about 60 ft. high, with a tall roof pierced with three rows of windows, and with double verandas. A smaller palace near by is the residence of the prince royal, and the houses of the chief nobles and military officers are in the immediate vicinity. N. of the palace is a natural amphitheatre, capable of holding 100,000 persons, where large public assemblies are held. Courts are held in the open air W. of the palace, and a little beyond is a precipice 300 ft. high, down which those convicted of witchcraft and sorcery are thrown.

Through the efforts of the missionaries a marked improvement has taken place of late years in the habits and manner of life of the people, who have adopted many European customs. Schools and chapels have been established, printing offices opened, and many thousand Bibles and other books printed.