Antsiranana, formerly Diégo-Suarez, town in northern Madagascar, capital of Antsiranana Province, on an inlet of the Indian Ocean. The town, which possesses one of the finest harbors in the world, is a naval base and fueling station and the third largest port of the country. Cattle, corn, coffee, vanilla, pepper, sugar, peanuts, and cloves are exported. Important industries of the area are shipbuilding, meat processing, tuna fishing, salt extraction, and the manufacture of oxygen. The bay was the site of a French pirate colony, Libertalia, at the end of the 17th century; the modern town was founded in the 1800s. From 1885 to 1895 it was the capital of the French colony of Diégo-Suarez. The town is also called Antsirane or Antsirana. Population (1990) 54,418.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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