View source for Route nationale 12 (Madagascar)

{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox road
| country = MDG
| type = RN
| route = 12
| established = 1936
| length_km = 240
| terminus_a = [[Fort-Dauphin (Madagascar)|Fort-Dauphin]]
| terminus_b = [[Vangaindrano]]
}}

'''''Route nationale 12''''' (''RN 12'') is a primary highway in [[Madagascar]] of {{Convert|240|km|mi|sp=us}}, running from [[Irondro]] to [[Vangaindrano]]. It crosses the regions of [[Vatovavy]], [[Fitovinany]] and [[Atsimo-Atsinanana]]. It is paved but partly in bad condition.

== History ==
The road was constructed in 1936, while the island was governed as the colony of [[French Madagascar]]. Construction of the road was conducted as [[corvée]] work; the French did not provide to the [[Antaisaka people|Antaisaka]] laborers during the day, an omission considered to be barbaric by the island's natives, and would arrest and imprison the natives who did not show up to participate in the construction for a period of 15 days.<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis |last=Thomas |first=Philip |title=Place, Person and Ancestry among the Temanambondro of Southeast Madagascar |date=1996 |degree=Ph.D. |publisher=[[University of London]] |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/46519217.pdf}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=39–40}}

The road, upon its construction, was initially one of the best roads in Madagascar for travel, and was created with twelve ferries to bring people and vehicles across waterways. As time passed, however, the road fell into disrepair. By 1998, the highway had become an entirely [[dirt road]] and the ferry services had become unreliable; the road had become almost always partly impassible to vehicular traffic.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=39–40}}

==Selected locations on route==
(north to south)

*[[Irondro]] (intersection with [[Route nationale 25 (Madagascar)|RN 25]])
*[[Mizilo Gara]] (railway)
*[[Manakara]] -  118km
*[[Vohipeno]] - 202 km
*[[Farafangana]] - 224 km
*[[Vangaindrano]] - 299 km

The section between [[Vohipeno]] and [[Farafangana]] is paved.<ref>[https://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Infrastructures-routieres-le-president-effectue-des-series-d-inaugurations.html#forum501414 Infrastructures Routieres]</ref>
[[File:Faraony from RN 12.jpg|thumb|[[Faraony River]] from RN 12]]
==See also==
*[[List of roads in Madagascar]]
*[[Transport in Madagascar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}{{Roads in Madagascar}}
[[Category:Roads in Atsimo-Atsinanana]]
[[Category:Roads in Vatovavy]]
[[Category:Roads in Madagascar]]