Haute Matsiatra

The Matsiatra Ambony Region is located in the province of Fianarantsoa, in the center of the island. It is part of the central highlands of Madagascar and is located between 45.51° and 47.41° east longitude and 20.68° and 22.21° south latitude. The capital of the region is Fianarantsoa. It expands on an area of 20,880 km², representing 20.46% of the total area of the province of Fianarantsoa. The Matsiatra Ambony Region is bounded by the Amoron’i Mania Region to the north, the Ihorombe Region to the south, the Vatovavy Fitovinany Region to the east and the Atsimo Andrefana and Menabe Regions to the west. The Matsiatra Ambony Region has a total of 7districts (including Isandra, Ikalamavony, Ambohima hasoa, Lalangina, Fianarantsoa I, Vohibato, Ambalavao), 82 communes and 787 fokontany.

The Matsiatra Ambony Region is located in the southern part of the highlands and is characterized by a mountainous relief, struck by isolated vigorous massifs and furrowed by depressions Narrow.

Three natural sub-regions make up the region:

• The eastern part, with undecided topography, corresponds to the transition zone between the cliff Tanala and the Central Highlands. The swampy shallows constitute an important superficial reserve, poorly exploited for rice cultivation. The average altitude is 1,000 m;
• the central highlands correspond to the southern part of the Betsileo country.
• A densely populated and relatively well-served area, the central highlands have a mountainous crisscrossed by more or less narrow valleys;
• the western and southern part offers a landscape of great plains and peneplains suitable livestock and rice expansion (vast plains of Tsitondroina and Zomandao)
• The Matsiatra Ambony Region has a tropical high-altitude climate that alternates two distinct seasons:
• from November to April: hot and rainy period which concentrates 90% of precipitation.
• (1,000 to 1,200 mm/year). The maximum temperature can reach 30 °C;
• from May to October: cool and wet period during which the temperature can decrease
• up to 6 °C.

Ranked among the coldest regions of Madagascar after the Vakinankaratra region, the average temperature of the region is 14.6 °C with a minimum of 10 °C and a maximum of 18 °C.  We notice that as we go down to the south, we see an increase in temperatures up to 20 °C.  The same phenomenon is observed in the central highlands to the West than to the East.

The majority of the inhabitants of the region are of the Betsileo ethnic group. Fianarantsoa I being the administrative capital of the Province of the same name and is a crossroads of the roads that connect the highlands of the regions that lie in the south, south-west and south-east of the country. The area is inhabited by other ethnic groups, especially Merina, Antaisaka, Bara, Antandroy and Sakalava. It should be noted that the Ranomafana National Park where there are endemic fauna and flora, beautiful forests, waterfalls, electric dams, hot spring and flood is located in the eastern periphery of the South Central region. These are the RN 25 and 45 that connect the latter with the park. The city of Fianarantsoa is the starting point of discovery and many excursions, not only from the Betsileo country but also from the Southern Region, in general. The province of Fianarantsoa is also one of the most important tourist poles of Madagascar. Fauna, flora, The thermal spring, viticulture and crafts are the tourist assets of the region. Travel Companies and Tourism Providers operate at the regional level including 10 in Fianarantsoa I District and 2 in Ambalavao District.