Betafo
fields near Betafo
Betafo Location in Madagascar
Coordinates: 19°50′24″S 46°51′18″E / 19.84000°S 46.85500°E / -19.84000; 46.85500
Country	Madagascar
Region	Vakinankaratra
District	Betafo District
Elevation	1,410 m (4,630 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	34,336
• Ethnics	Merina
Time zone	UTC3 (EAT)
Postal code	113

Betafo ("many roofs") is a town and urban municipality in Vakinankaratra Region in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. It is surrounded by volcanic peaks and is situated 22 km from Antsirabe. It is a typical Merina town in the Central Highlands.

The town had an estimated population of 34,336 in 2018 and is the administrative centre of Betafo District.

Geography

Betafo is situated at an altitude of 1,410 metres (4,630 ft) above sea level, in the central highlands of Madagascar. The town lies along the RN34 national road to Miandrivazo, 22 km (14 mi) west of Antsirabe and 191 km (119 mi) from the country's capital, Antananarivo.

Religion

• FLM - Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy (Malagasy Lutheran Church)

The first Lutheran church in Madagascar was built in Betafo by the Norwegian missionaries John Engh and Nils Nielsen in 1867.^[2]

• FJKM - Fiangonan'i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara (Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar)
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Betafo^[3]

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The irrigated rice paddies of the area are emblematic of this technology throughout the Malagasy highlands and were nominated to the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Madagascar in 1997.^[4]

History

In the 19th century, it was the capital of Vakinankaratra. The first Lutheran church in Madagascar was built in Betafo by the Norwegian missionaries John Engh and Nils Nielsen in 1867.^[5]

Sports

The AS Standon Betafo is the local football club. It plays in the Vakinankaratra regional liga.

Books

• David Graeber: Lost People: Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 2007. ISBN 978-0-253-34910-1.