Toliara
Province
Map of Madagascar with Toliara highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 22°45′S 44°15′E / 22.750°S 44.250°E / -22.750; 44.250
Country	Madagascar
Capital	Toliara
Area
• Total	161,405 km2 (62,319 sq mi)
Population  (2001)
• Total	2,229,550
• Density	14/km2 (36/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3

The Toliara Province (formerly Toliary or Tuléar) is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 161,405 square kilometres (62,319 sq mi). It had a population of 2,229,550 (July, 2001). Its capital was Toliara. Near Toliara was the "spiny forest". Toliara Province bordered the following provinces – Mahajanga Province in the north, Antananarivo Province in the northeast and Fianarantsoa Province in the east.

Masikoro Malagasy and Tandroy Malagasy were the chief languages.^[1] Sea cucumbers were exported from the province and were an important factor in its economy.^[2] The deciduous Andronovory forest was located in the province.^[3]

The province was the poorest one in Madagascar. In 1993, 8 in every 10 person of the province was living below the poverty line. Despite the production of export crops the province recorded the highest rural poverty.^[4][5] The average fertility rate per woman was above 5.^[6] With 77 percent of its population being illiterate, Tolaira was the most illiterate province of Madagascar. Only 22 percent of the province's population had received primary level education.^[7][8]

The commercially valuable softwood tree Givotia madagascariensis, found in Antananarivo and Toliara provinces was endemic to Madagascar.^[9] The oil producing plant moringa drouhardii was endemic to Toliara province.^[10] Deforestation was a major issue for the province.^[11] In April 1971, a peasant rebellion was organised by MONIMA leader Monja Joana. The peasants refused to pay taxes and the government retaliated by dissolving MONIMA and deporting Joana.^[12]

Toliara province offered poor transport and security facilities.^[13][14] Potable water was accessible to only 24.9% of the province's households.^[15] It was rich in terms of minerals.^[16][17] Toliara province was in the news in July 2005 for its mining activity.^[18]

The provinces were abolished following the results of Malagasy constitutional referendum, 2007 which led to the formation of 22 smaller areas (faritra or regions) to facilitate regional development.^[19]

Toliara Province was divided into four regions of Madagascar - Androy, Anosy, Atsimo Andrefana and Menabe. These four regions became the first-level administrative divisions when the provinces were abolished in 2009. They are sub-divided into 21 districts:

• Collins, N. Mark; Morris, Michael G. (1985). "Papilio (Princeps) morondavana Grose-smith, 1891". Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book. Gland & Cambridge: IUCN. pp. 354–355. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
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• Lovatelli, Alessandro; Conand, C. (2004). Advances in Sea Cucumber Aquaculture and Management. Food & Agriculture Org. p. 141. ISBN 978-92-5-105163-4.
• Milisenda, Claudio C.; Henn, U. (1996). "Compositional characteristics of sapphires from a new find in Madagascar". The Journal of Gemmology. 25 (3). Great Britain: Gemmological Association of Great Britain: 177–184. doi:10.15506/JoG.1996.25.3.177.
• van der Vossen, H.A.M.; Mkamilo, G.S. (2007). Vegetable oils. PROTA. ISBN 978-90-5782-191-2.
• Education and Training in Madagascar: Toward a Policy Agenda for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction. World Bank Publications. 2002. ISBN 978-0-8213-5164-2.