Toliara

Toliara lies on Madagascar's southwestern coast near the mouth of the Fiherenana River. The river crosses a dry plain before reaching the Mozambique Channel, while reefs shelter the coastal waters. The Vezo, known for their fishing and skill with canoes, are among the peoples of this shore. Their canoes connect fishing grounds along the coast and the reefs beyond the long sandy beach.

Early in the seventeenth century the Andrevola dynasty moved westward from the Itomampy country and established itself along the Fiherenana. Its rulers governed a kingdom between the Onilahy and Mangoky rivers. The coastal communities and their inland farming neighbours shared a region shaped by river valleys, cattle and the sea, although their livelihoods and political allegiances differed.