Androy is the most southerly region of Madagascar. It covers an area of 19,540 km2, and had a population of 903,376 inhabitants in 2018. The administrative capital is Ambovombe-Androy, and the chief administrator is Michael Andrianirina (since June 2016). Area Androy (literally "the land of roy (Mimosa delicatula) but more commonly translated as "spiny land") is the deep south of Madagascar. It is located south of the Tropic of Capricorn and conventionally delimited between the Mandrare and Menarandra rivers. It is 19,540 km2 and is bordered by the Mahafaly people to the northwest (Atsimo-Andrefana), the Antanosy to the east (Anosy) and the Bara land to the north (starting at about Isoanala). Administrative divisions Androy Region is divided into four districts, which are sub-divided into 51 communes, which later are further sub-divided into 881 villages (fokontany). Ambovombe District - 17 communes Bekily District - 18 communes Beloha District - 5 communes Tsiombe District - 5 communes Roads The National road 10 and Route nationale 13 cross this region. Population In 2013 the estimated total population of Androy Region was 733,933 inhabitants, with a population growth rate of 2.7% (means population will double in 25 years if not reduced). The population is almost entirely Tandroy ("people of the thorny bush") or Karembola (in the southwest), with small numbers of Antanosy, Mahafaly, Merina and Betsileo who also live there. The Tandroy may also be called the "'Antandroy'", but "'Tandroy'" is preferable. (With "'roy'" meaning thorn, and the prefix "'an'" meaning "'place of'", the additional "'t'" means "'from'". Thus, adding another "'an'" to make '"Antandroy'" is redundant.) There are another estimated 150,000 Tandroy living in other parts of the island, many of them having moved due to recurring famine in the Androy region. In 2013 some 349,675 people - nlmost half of the total population of Androy - lived in the Ambovombe-Androy District, which has a population density of 60/km2. The strip along the southeast coast (which has been described by some as "the Tandroy Cradle"), is the most densely populated. Bekily District had about 164,751 inhabitants (32/km2), Beloha-Androy has about 109,361 (23/km2) and Tsiombe has about 110,147 (50/km2). Climatology The Androy region is semi- to sub-arid with an average rainfall of just ( along the southwestern coast to towards the north), which is unevenly distributed during the year (though there's generally more rain December through February). Other than the Mandrare river, most riverbeds