Urban Commune of Toamasina

Toamasina is Madagascar's principal port city and capital of the Atsinanana region, on the island's east coast some 215 km north-east of Antananarivo, where a coral reef forms a spacious natural harbour. It is the country's main gateway to the Indian Ocean, the northern terminus of the Canal des Pangalanes and the railhead of the line to the capital. Its tropical rainforest climate brings more than 3 300 mm of rain a year and no true dry season, shaping both the city's green character and its exposure to cyclones and flooding — and the commune has adopted a Municipal Hygiene Code as a framework for a healthier, more sustainable city.