The town had an estimated population of 34,336 in 2018 and is the administrative centre of Betafo District.
Geography
Betafo is situated at an altitude of 1,410 metres (4,630 ft) above sea level, in the central highlands of Madagascar. The town lies along the RN34 national road to Miandrivazo, 22 km (14 mi) west of Antsirabe and 191 km (119 mi) from the country's capital, Antananarivo.
The irrigated rice paddies of the area are emblematic of this technology throughout the Malagasy highlands and were nominated to the Tentative List of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites in Madagascar in 1997.[4]
History
In the 19th century, it was the capital of Vakinankaratra. The first Lutheran church in Madagascar was built in Betafo by the Norwegian missionaries John Engh and Nils Nielsen in 1867.[5]
Sports
The AS Standon Betafo is the local football club. It plays in the Vakinankaratra regional liga.