Toliara
Toliara
Tuléar Toliary | |
|---|---|
Boulevard Galliéni | |
| Coordinates: 23°21′S 43°40′E / 23.350°S 43.667°E | |
| Country | Madagascar |
| Region | Atsimo-Andrefana |
| Government | |
| • Prefect | Lydore Solondraza |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.1 km2 (12.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2018 census) | |
• Total | 168,756 |
| • Density | 5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 601 |
Toliara (also known as Toliary, [tuliˈar]; formerly Tuléar) is a city in southern Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of the national capital Antananarivo.
The current spelling of the name was adopted in the 1970s, reflecting the orthography of the Malagasy language. Many geographic place names, assigned French spellings during the colonial period, were altered following Malagasy independence in 1960.
The city has a population of 168,758 in 2018. As a port town it acts as a major import/export hub for commodities such as sisal, soap, hemp, cotton, rice and peanuts.