Melagasy

It wasn't clear who first settled on this island. A study done in 2005 stated that "Malagasy peoples are a roughly 50:50 mix of two ancestral groups: Indonesians and East Africans. It is important to realise that these lineages have intermingled over intervening centuries since settlement, so modern Malagasy have ancestry in both Indonesia and Africa". 

Reference: Hurles ME, Sykes BC, Jobling MA, Forster P Am J Hum Genet. 2005;76;894-901.

Today there are about 18 ethnic groups and some other groups that have migrated relatively recently over time such as Comorans, French, asian; Indians, chinese, and middle eastern.

Generally, the ethnic groups are divided into 2 subgroups based on their location. 


1) The Highlanders - live in central plateau

http://madagascar-ictours.com/madagascar/people.htm

http://www.charischildbirth.org/newsletter/0207/page6.htm

http://www.123rf.com/photo_8523239_beautiful-grassland-in-the-central-highlands-in-madagascar.html

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5808534018_4cef4fa12f.jpg

2) The Coastal ethnic groups (Côtiers) - live elsewhere in the country

http://wdict.net/word/antaifasy/

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/414058/enlarge

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/414055/enlarge

http://blueventures.org/press-releases/thousands-of-turtles-captured-in-madagascar-despite-ban.html

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/414056/enlarge