Sambava samˈbav is a city and commune (commune urbaine; ) at the east coast of northern Madagascar

Madagascar

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

. It is the capital of Sambava District

Sambava District

Sambava is a district in northern Madagascar. It's a part of Sava Region and borders the districts of Antalaha in south, Andapa in south-west, Ambilobe in north-west and Vohemar in north. The area is and the population was estimated to be 237,488 in 2001....

 and Sava Region

Sava Region

Sava is a region of Madagascar. Its capital is Sambava. Until 2009 Sava belonged to Antsiranana Province. The region is situated at the northern part of the east coast of Madagascar. It is bordered by Diana to the north, Sofia to the west, and Analanjirofo to the south. The population was estimated...

. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 40,000 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...

.

Sambava is served by a local airport. In addition to primary schooling the town offers secondary education at both junior and senior levels. The town provides access to hospital services to its citizens.

Farming and raising livestock provides employment for 45 % and 0.5 % of the working population. The most important crop is vanilla

Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...

, 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...

 and 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...

. Industry and services provide employment for 0.5 % and 53.5 % of the population, respectively. Additionally fishing employs 0.5 % of the population.