Ambositra

Ambositra is a city (commune urbaine) in central Madagascar.

Ambositra is the capital of the Amoron'i Mania region, and of Ambositra District.

Geography
It is situated at the RN 7 (Antsirabe - Tulear) and the RN 41 to Fandriana. It is situated 255 km south of the country's capital Antananarivo.

Rivers
Ambositra is situated at the Isaha River, an affluent of the Mania.

Religion
The Diocese of Ambositra is seated in the town (Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), led by Bishop Fidelis Rakotonarivo.

Arts and Crafts
Ambositra is the centre of Madagascar's' wood-carving industry due to the presence of the Zafimaniry tribe, a subgroup of the Betsileo tribe. There are many shops selling wooden household equipment, boxes, chessboards and figurines. Various woodworking firms and workshops can be visited. In Madagascar Ambositra has got the nickname "Capital of Woodworking (Capitale du travail sur bois)".

Sights
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Cathédrale du Cœur Immaculé de Marie) on the Rue de Commerce street, is one of the largest churches in Madagascar. It was built in the first quarter of the 20th century. Various colonial houses with carved wooden balconies are preserved in the city centre. A memorial from 1947 dedicated to the victims of the Malagasy Uprising is located on the Rue de Commerce close to the representative Grand Hotel dating from 1912. Nuns sell cheese, honey and jam in a red-brick Benedictine Monastery founded in 1934.