Analalava is a coastal town and commune in north-western Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 over the Mozambique Channel

Mozambique Channel

The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...

. It is approximately 150 kilometres north of Mahajanga

Mahajanga

Mahajanga is a city and a district on the north-west coast of Madagascar.- City :The City of Mahajanga is the capital of the Boeny region. Population: 135,660 ....

 and some 430 kilometres north of the capital Antananarivo

Antananarivo

Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....

. It belongs to the district

Districts of Madagascar

Districts are second-level administrative divisions of Madagascar below the regions. Districts are in their turn divided into communes; while some of the districts on urban areas such as the district of Toliara consists of only one commune, most of the districts are divided typically into...

 of Analalava

Analalava District

Analalava is a district in northern Madagascar. It's a part of Sofia Region and borders the districts ofAmbanja in northeast, Bealanana and Antsohihy in east and Boriziny in south. The area is and the population was estimated to be 89,917 in 2001.The district is further divided into 11...

, which is a part of Sofia Region

Sofia Region

Sofia is a region in northern Madagascar. It is named for the Sofia River.* Capital: Antsohihy* Area: 50 800 km²Districts:*Mandritsara District*Befandriana-Nord District*Bealanana District*Antsohihy District*Analalava District...

. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 10,000 in 2001 commune census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

.

Analalava is served by a local Analalava Airport

Analalava Airport

Analalava Airport is an airport in Analalava, Madagascar ....

. In addition to primary schooling the town offers secondary education at both junior and senior levels. The town has a permanent court and hospital.

The majority 60% of the population works in fishing. 25% are farmers, while an additional 10% receives their livelihood from raising livestock. The most important crop is rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, while other important products are coconut

Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

s and cassava

Cassava

Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...

. Services provide employment for 5% of the population.