The Toamasina Province is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 71,911 km². It had a population of 2,855,600 (2004). Its capital was Toamasina, the most important seaport of the country. The province was also known as Tamatave Province. Except for Toliara, Toamasina Province bordered all of the country's other provinces; Antsiranana in the north, Mahajanga in the northwest, Antananarivo in the southwest and Fianarantsoa in the south. Northern Betsimisaraka Malagasy and Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy languages were widely spoken.