Toamasina , meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in
French also
Tamatave, is the capital of the
Atsinanana region on the east coast of
Madagascar on the
Indian Ocean. The city is the chief
seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city
Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast at 18 10 S, 49 32 E. According to the 2013 official estimate, Toamasina had a population of 274,667. The city is served by
Toamasina Airport.