Toamasina

Overview

Toamasina is Madagascar's largest port of approximately 145,000 on the west coast of Madagascar. Until 1977 it was known as Tamatave. .  It has a beautiful coastline and a very sleepy, relaxing feel, especially at night - conscribing to the local idium of 'mora mora' (basically 'calm and easy').  The central market in the heart of the city appears to be the one and only sight deemed worth showing to the few tourists who visit this city.  Driving around, the economic deprivation is palpable.  One of the poorest nations in the world, Madagascar has a per capita GDP of just US$900, only 60,000 passenger vehicles in the whole country, 20 TV sets per 1000 population, and less than 60,000 telephone land-lines.  Rarely does one see such urban poverty and infrastructure decay.  There are metalled roads from the capital Antananarivo however surrounding roads are badly damaged and pot-holed everywhere; public buildings are black with tropical mildew and pollution and undoubtedly receive no maintenance.  The town's 120,000 or so inhabitants do not appear to be starving, but clearly they live at a subsistence level in their metal shacks or bamboo and atap huts.  Very little sophisticated economic activity is to be seen, and even small-scale businesses apparently depend on foreign capital.  The tour company handling our ground arrangements was owned by a Frenchman, and the restaurant we stopped at for refreshments by an Englishwoman. Driving north from Toamasina on pretty dreadful roads for some twelve kilometres, and then several more on a muddy, rutted track along the bank...more

History