MADAGASCAR HIGHLIGHTS
PEOPLE & CULTURE
COMORES MOZAMBIQUE
The Malagasy, who are they? The Malagasy has a complex origin. Before the African, Arab and European settlers, Madagascar was first inhabited by the Austronesians, some twenty-five centuries ago. Subsequently, Indonesian (Malacca) and Bantu immigrants from the subequatorial Africa integrated with these Proto Malagasy. The dissemination of a small population in this vast space led to the formation of demographic isolates and assimilated to “tribes’’. The Betsileo and the Merina live in the highlands. The Sakalava and the Mahafaly dominate the plains of the west and southwest; the Antaimoro, Antaisaka, and Tanala populate the coast and forest of the southeast, while the Betsimisaraka dominate the eastern coast. The north of Madagascar is mainly populated by the Tsimihety and the Antakarana. The Antandroy and the Bara rule the semi-arid regions of the south.
I
NATIONAL PARKS There are currently 43 protected areas managed by Madagascar National Parks. Most are on land but many are marine reserves. Some reserves are classified as “Integral Natural Reserves” and are only open to researchers and scientists.
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INSIDER JOURNEYS
