Here are maps  showing regions, etc. Note: many of the maps show a set of regional divisions which differs in several details from the set actually adopted.

Madagascar is divided into six faritany mizakatena (autonomous provinces). They are subdivided into 22 regions, which were created in 2004. The region chiefs were appointed on 2004-09-03, which we might as well take to be the creation date for the regions. (See the change history for further details on subdivisions.) The list below shows the regions of Madagascar.

Region	HASC	Capital
Alaotra Mangoro	MG.TM.AO	Ambatondrazaka
Amoron'i Mania	MG.FI.AM	Ambositra
Analamanga	MG.AV.AG	Antananarivo
Analanjirofo	MG.TM.AN
Androy	MG.TL.AD	Ambovombe
Anosy	MG.TL.AY	Tolagnaro
Atsimo-Andrefana	MG.TL.AF	Toliara
Atsimo-Atsinanana	MG.FI.AA	Farafangana
Atsinanana	MG.TM.AI
Betsiboka	MG.MA.BE	Maevetanana
Boeny	MG.MA.BO	Mahajanga
Bongolava	MG.AV.BO	Tsiroanomandidy
Diana	MG.AS.DI	Antsiranana
Haute Matsiatra	MG.FI.HM	Fianarantsoa
Ihorombe	MG.FI.HO	Ihosy
Itasy	MG.AV.IT	Miarinarivo
Melaky	MG.MA.ME	Maintirano
Menabe	MG.TL.ME	Morondava
Sava	MG.AS.SV	Sambava
Sofia	MG.MA.SF	Antsohihy
Vakinankaratra	MG.AV.VA	Antsirabe
Vatovavy Fitovinany	MG.FI.VF	Manakara
HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. The middle two letters identify the province. For key, see "Administrative Subdivisions of Countries".

Change history:

An article in Cybergeo: Revue européenne de géographie  No. 301 says that in 1960, Madagascar was divided into six provinces, then into préfectures, then sous-préfectures, then cantons, then villages, and finally hameaux (hamlets).

Under the Second Republic (approx. 1973-1992), the country was divided into six faritanin' (sing. faritany: provinces), then into fivondronana or fivondronampokontany, then firaisana or firaisampokontany, then fokontany (villages), and then fokonolona (autonomous rural collectivities). The various types of subdivision have been translated various ways. Among the sources I consulted, fivondronana are equated to districts, préfectures, sous-préfectures, subregions, or ensembles (French for "sets"). There were probably 110 of them up to a certain date, when the 111th was created - possibly Manandriana in ~2000. Firaisana correspond to cantons, communes, or districts - communes is the most popular term - and number from 1,252 to 1,392 at different dates. The number of fokontany is given as 11,433.

The 1992 constitution called for decentralization and reorganization. It left the details up to the National Assembly. According to the Biology Daily  website, three types of subdivision were defined (but not actually implemented): the region (faritra), department (departemanta) and commune (kaominina). The communes were created in 1996. The primary subdivisions (faritany), although not mentioned, were apparently kept. The Cybergeo article has a table which is somewhat ambiguous, but it seems to mean that in 1995 or early in 1996 the departments became fivondronana once more, and the firaisana became urban and rural communes. The latter were divided into fokontany and then into villages. It may be that the only real change under the 1992 constitution was the introduction of regions, which were intermediate between faritany and fivondronana. Twenty-eight regions were proposed.

A paper on the Réseau Impact  anti-poverty site says, "A new administrative division was put in place in 1997: the Fokontany level disappeared, the Firaisana were replaced by communes with territorial limits differing from the Firaisana according to zones. The other levels were kept for the present." (Translated from French.) This may just be a restatement of the previous paragraph.

The Biology Daily site says that the constitution was changed in 1998. It now specified six autonomous provinces, with the same names and extents as the six old faritany. They were to be divided into regions and communes in a manner not specified. The autonomous provinces were created in 2000.

According to a website of the Government of Antananarivo Province , dated 2001-10-26, Madagascar was divided into provinces, then regions, then fivondronana, then firaisana, and then fokontany. The region was an administrative circumscription, but not a territorial collectivity. Fabien Antoine writes that an administrative circumscription is a territory of State action, headed by a representative of the State; a territorial collectivity is an organized entity headed by a locally elected official who acts on behalf of the collectivity.

Biology Daily goes on to say that 22 regions were actually created in 2004 (law no. 2004-001). The regions are supposed to take over the assets of the fivondronana. The departments which should be created by the reorganization are expected to be based on the old fivondronana. The law of 2004 doesn't use the term departments, instead calling them components of the regions.

These were the fivondronana of Madagascar from about 2000 to 2004:

Fivondronana	HASC	Pcd	Population	Area(km.²)	Region
Ambalavao	MG.FI.AL	303	190,012	5,151	MG.FI.HM
Ambanja	MG.AS.AJ	203	125,056	6,328	MG.AS.DI
Ambato-Boeny	MG.MA.AB	403	108,807	8,005	MG.MA.BO
Ambatofinandrahana	MG.FI.AF	304	116,066	10,386	MG.FI.AM
Ambatolampy	MG.AV.AL	104	215,544	1,755
Ambatomainty	MG.MA.AM	404	19,509	5,166	MG.MA.ME
Ambatondrazaka	MG.TM.AT	503	240,123	6,077	MG.TM.AO
Ambilobe	MG.AS.AB	204	140,556	7,714	MG.AS.DI
Amboasary	MG.TL.AS	603	151,245	10,211	MG.TL.AY
Ambohidratrimo	MG.AV.AH	105	235,514	1,402
Ambohimahasoa	MG.FI.AH	305	197,279	2,560	MG.FI.HM
Ambositra	MG.FI.AS	306	229,123	3,199	MG.FI.AM
Ambovombe	MG.TL.AV	604	183,734	5,829	MG.TL.AD
Ampanihy Androka	MG.TL.AA	605	205,282	13,037	MG.TL.AF
Amparafaravola	MG.TM.AR	504	212,922	3,815	MG.TM.AO
Ampasimanolotra	MG.TM.AS	508	159,301	5,986
Analalava	MG.MA.AL	405	89,917	4,380	MG.MA.SF
Andapa	MG.AS.AP	205	147,772	4,444	MG.AS.SV
Andilamena	MG.TM.AL	505	41,135	7,405	MG.TM.AO
Andramasina	MG.AV.AD	106	139,217	1,370
Anjozorobe	MG.AV.AJ	107	145,410	3,714
Ankazoabo	MG.TL.AZ	606	47,949	7,385	MG.TL.AF
Ankazobe	MG.AV.AK	108	111,068	7,458
Anosibe An'ala	MG.TM.AA	506	84,982	2,590	MG.TM.AO
Antalaha	MG.AS.AL	206	186,322	7,085	MG.AS.SV
Antanambao Manampotsy	MG.TM.AM	507	46,174	1,342	MG.TM.AO
Antananarivo Atsimondrano	MG.AV.AA	102	292,057	369
Antananarivo Avaradrano	MG.AV.AV	103	207,942	617
Antananarivo Renivohitra	MG.AV.AR	101	903,450	88
Antanifotsy	MG.AV.AF	109	278,741	3,005	MG.AV.VA
Antsalova	MG.MA.AS	406	30,062	7,195	MG.MA.ME
Antsirabe I	MG.AV.AN	110	160,356	144	MG.AV.VA
Antsirabe II	MG.AV.AT	111	333,979	2,241	MG.AV.VA
Antsiranana I	MG.AS.AN	201	73,491	222	MG.AS.DI
Antsiranana II	MG.AS.AT	202	71,416	6,025	MG.AS.DI
Antsohihy	MG.MA.AH	407	107,717	5,125	MG.MA.SF
Arivonimamo	MG.AV.AM	112	260,261	1,627	MG.AV.IT
Bealanana	MG.MA.BN	408	100,750	6,543	MG.MA.SF
Befandriana Avaratra	MG.MA.BA	409	169,423	8,394	MG.MA.SF
Befotaka	MG.FI.BE	307	24,045	3,097
Bekily	MG.TL.BK	607	124,764	5,097	MG.TL.AD
Belo Tsiribihina	MG.TL.BT	608	52,674	7,573	MG.TL.ME
Beloha	MG.TL.BL	609	63,709	4,669	MG.TL.AD
Benenitra	MG.TL.BN	610	26,316	4,912	MG.TL.AF
Beroroha	MG.TL.BR	611	39,241	7,210	MG.TL.ME
Besalampy	MG.MA.BS	410	37,782	11,753	MG.MA.ME
Betafo	MG.AV.BE	113	301,671	8,994	MG.AV.VA
Betioky	MG.TL.BY	612	165,199	9,103	MG.TL.AF
Betroka	MG.TL.BO	613	134,771	13,315	MG.TL.AY
Fandriana	MG.FI.FN	308	189,544	2,232	MG.FI.AM
Farafangana	MG.FI.FF	309	207,167	2,621
Faratsiho	MG.AV.FA	114	165,327	2,034	MG.AV.VA
Fenoarivo Atsinanana	MG.TM.FA	509	240,595	3,365
Fenoarivo Be	MG.AV.FB	115	82,402	7,761	MG.AV.IT
Fianarantsoa I	MG.FI.FI	301	144,225	41	MG.FI.HM
Fianarantsoa II	MG.FI.FA	302	431,011	3,987	MG.FI.HM
Iakora	MG.FI.IA	311	29,987	4,633	MG.FI.HO
Ifanadiana	MG.FI.IF	312	136,899	3,958
Ihosy	MG.FI.IH	313	106,591	17,358	MG.FI.HO
Ikalamavony	MG.FI.IM	314	56,148	9,166	MG.FI.HM
Ikongo	MG.FI.IG	310	107,748	3,272
Ivohibe	MG.FI.IV	315	34,289	4,119	MG.FI.HO
Kandreho	MG.MA.KA	411	11,892	6,816	MG.MA.BE
Maevatanana	MG.MA.MV	412	106,624	11,085	MG.MA.BE
Mahabo	MG.TL.MH	615	86,383	13,863
Mahajanga I	MG.MA.MA	401	135,660	92	MG.MA.BO
Mahajanga II	MG.MA.MH	402	46,790	4,390	MG.MA.BO
Mahanoro	MG.TM.MH	510	212,118	3,968	MG.TM.AO
Maintirano	MG.MA.MN	413	52,700	10,031	MG.MA.ME
Mampikony	MG.MA.MP	414	84,375	4,611	MG.MA.SF
Manakara	MG.FI.MK	316	235,764	2,961
Mananara Avaratra	MG.TM.MA	511	106,184	4,621
Manandriana	MG.FI.MN	323	90,693
Mananjary	MG.FI.MJ	317	233,697	5,245	MG.FI.VF
Mandritsara	MG.MA.MT	415	204,503	10,512	MG.MA.SF
Manja	MG.TL.MN	616	56,532	8,725	MG.TL.ME
Manjakandriana	MG.AV.MA	116	202,771	1,660
Maroantsetra	MG.TM.MS	512	167,415	6,917
Marolambo	MG.TM.ML	513	120,051	3,531	MG.TM.AO
Marovoay	MG.MA.MY	416	124,739	3,804	MG.MA.BO
Miandrivazo	MG.TL.MI	617	82,447	12,545	MG.TL.ME
Miarinarivo	MG.AV.MI	117	181,218	2,818	MG.AV.IT
Midongy Atsimo	MG.FI.MA	318	25,911	2,700
Mitsinjo	MG.MA.MJ	417	53,405	5,894	MG.MA.BO
Morafenobe	MG.MA.MF	418	20,475	6,976	MG.MA.ME
Moramanga	MG.TM.MM	514	217,953	7,278	MG.TM.AO
Morombe	MG.TL.MB	618	96,765	7,634	MG.TL.AF
Morondava	MG.TL.MD	619	80,586	5,648	MG.TL.ME
Nosy Be	MG.AS.NB	207	36,636	242	MG.AS.DI
Nosy Varika	MG.FI.NV	319	177,817	3,925
Port Bergé	MG.MA.PB	419	103,668	7,047	MG.MA.SF
Sainte Marie	MG.TM.SM	515	16,325	222
Sakaraha	MG.TL.SA	620	67,870	8,447	MG.TL.AF
Sambava	MG.AS.SA	208	237,488	4,780	MG.AS.SV
Soalala	MG.MA.SO	420	27,434	6,578	MG.MA.BO
Soanierana-Ivongo	MG.TM.SI	516	99,373	4,814
Soavinandriana	MG.AV.SO	118	147,217	1,856	MG.AV.IT
Toamasina I	MG.TM.TO	501	179,045	322
Toamasina II	MG.TM.TA	502	168,388	4,816
Tolagnaro	MG.TL.TN	614	213,270	5,276	MG.TL.AY
Toliary I	MG.TL.TO	601	101,661	39	MG.TL.AF
Toliary II	MG.TL.TL	602	184,256	6,776	MG.TL.AF
Tsaratanana	MG.MA.TS	421	97,685	13,218	MG.MA.BE
Tsihombe	MG.TL.TS	621	64,896	2,223	MG.TL.AD
Tsiroanomandidy	MG.AV.TS	119	216,642	8,977	MG.AV.BO
Vangaindrano	MG.FI.VA	320	210,028	4,861
Vatomandry	MG.TM.VT	517	129,146	2,620	MG.TM.AO
Vavatenina	MG.TM.VV	518	151,833	2,826
Vohemar	MG.AS.VO	209	169,687	8,204	MG.AS.SV
Vohipeno	MG.FI.VH	321	98,701	1,162
Vondrozo	MG.FI.VN	322	93,547	2,953
HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. The middle two letters identify the province. For key, see "Administrative Subdivisions of Countries". Pcd: Postal code, or circumscription code. The first digit indicates the province. Population: 2001 estimate. Area: Source: a commercial Web page . Region: HASC code of the new region, if known.

 

There is some reason to believe that Manandriana was recently created (~2000).

Other names of divisions:

1. Ambato-Boeny: Ambato Boeni, Ambato-Boina (variant)
2. Amboasary: Amboasary Atsimo (variant)
3. Ambovombe: Ambovombe-Androy (variant)
4. Ampanihy Androka: Ampanihy (variant)
5. Ampasimanolotra: Brickaville, Vohibinany (variant)
6. Ankazoabo: Ankazoabo Atsimo (variant)
7. Anosibe An'ala: Anosibe (variant)
8. Antananarivo: Tananarive (obsolete)
9. Antsiranana: Antseranana, Diégo-Suarez (variant)
10. Antsohihy: Antsihihy (variant)
11. Atsimo-Andrefana: Tasimo Andrefana (variant)
12. Befandriana Avaratra: Befandriana Nord (variant)
13. Belo Tsiribihina: Belon'i Tsiribihina (variant)
14. Betioky: Betioky Atsimo (variant)
15. Fenoarivo Atsinanana: Fenerive Est, Fenoarivo Est (variant)
16. Fenoarivo Be: Fenoarivo-Afovoany (variant)
17. Mahajanga: Majunga (obsolete)
18. Manakara: Manakara-Atsimo (variant)
19. Mananara Avaratra: Mananara Nord (variant)
20. Maroantsetra: Maroansetra (variant)
21. Midongy Atsimo: Midongy-Sud (variant)
22. Morafenobe: Morafanobe (variant)
23. Nosy Be: Nosibe (variant)
24. Port Bergé: Boriziny, Port-Berger (variant)
25. Sainte Marie: Nosy Boraha (variant)
26. Toamasina: Tamatave (obsolete)
27. Tolagnaro: Faradofay, Fort Dauphin, Taolagnaro, Taolanaro, Tôlanaro (variant)
28. Toliary: Toleary, Toliara (variant); Tuléar (obsolete)
29. Tsihombe: Tsiombe (variant)
30. Vangaindrano: Vaingaindrano, Vangaindrona (variant)
31. Vohemar: Vohimarina, Vohima, Iharana (variant)