town and national capital of Madagascar, central Madagascar island. It was founded in the 17th century and was the capital of the Hova chiefs. It stands on a high hill. Avenues and flights of steps lead up to a rocky ridge (4,694 feet 【1,431 m】) on which stands the Royal Estate, with towered palaces built by the Imerina kings who captured the town in 1794 and ruled until the end of the 19th century. Below are banks and administrative buildings and lower still the commercial quarter. Public buildings include the French Residency and the Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals; and there are research institutes, an observatory, and the Bibliothèque Nationale. The University of Madagascar was founded there in 1961. Industries include tobacco and food processing and the manufacture of leather goods and clothing. Air transport is widely used, and the international airport at Ivato is 11 miles (17 km) north of the city. A railway connects the capital with Toamasina, the island's chief port, to the east, as well as with Antsirabe to the south and Lake Alaotra to the north. Pop. (2001 est.) 1,403,449.