The 18 ethnic groups of Madagascar

The 18 ethnic groups of Madagascar with their characteristics and their locations.

Merina

The Merina are of Asian origin more precisely Indonesian, they reside in the region of Antananarivo in the center of Madagascar and also called those of the heights.

The Betsileo or the invincible, they take refuge in the region of Fianarantsoa in the midle-east and their talents are wood carving and rice growing.

The Betsimisaraka is the most important ethnic group on the east coast of Madagascar, people are coffee growers, cloves and sugar cane. They are also called those who never separate.

The Sakalava or those of long valleys, the Sakalava ethnic group has an extensive territory along the west coast of Madagascar, from north to south to Toliara.

The Antaisaka are Sakalava migratory from which those who come from the Sakalava

The Antandroy or those of the thorns, they occupy Madagascar south extreme. They hunt and they are eaters of cactus fruits and cassava.

The Mahafaly are sculptors and get on well with their neighbor Antandroy. They are also called those who make taboos.

The Vezo or the nomads of the sea are fishermen came from East Africa, they reside in the south-west of Madagascar.

Bara is an ethnic group from Bantu. In general, people are zebu’s breeders.

The Antakarana or those of the rocks or those of the cliff. They take refuge in the north of the big island of Madagascar. They are both fishermen and breeders.

The Antemoro are excellent farmers, nicknamed those of the coast.

Antaifasy settles on the east coast, they are called those who live in the sands.

The Masikoro are farmers settled in the southern part of the Big Island.

The Antambahoaka is an ethnic Southeast, they are of Arab origin.

The Tsimihety live in the northwestern part, they are both breeders and rice farmers. They are called those who don’t cut hair.

The Tanala are those of forests, they take refuge in the cliffs between the east coast and the highland towards Fianarantsoa. They inherited the knowledge of medicinal plants.

The Bezanozano is an ethnic group of the east coast. People are foresters and called those of beautiful braids.

The Sihanaka live in the northeastern part of Madagascar, they are farmers and named those of the Marais.

Guaranteed departures to Madagascar

Madagascar guaranteed departure tour. We have some guaranteed departure tours for Madagascar. Our Madagascar organized trips or guaranteed departure tours are carefully selected from the great classic tours in Madagascar.

And the other guaranteed tours are always linked or combined with our cultural tours such as the Sambatra ceremony or circumcision in Mananjary, the Donia festival in Nosy Be, Fitampoha ceremony or sakalava bath of relics in Belo-sur-Tsiribihina, Whales Festival in Ste Marie or Nosy Boraha and Famadihana or the turning of the dead in the highlands of Madagascar.

Tours in Madagascar

Madagascar tour. If you choose Madagascar destination by making a tour in Madagascar, you have a wide choice of Madagascar tours that you can customize with care with a tour operator, a travel company in Madagascar or the Tsaraventura team. From the north to the south, from the east to the west, there are more tours in Madagascar that you can arrange with us. Our team is fully available to carry out your trip to Madagascar to your own wish and theme of travel so that your tour in Madagascar is well realized and in your match.

Top Madagascar tours:

RN7 tour from Antananarivo to Toliara

The big south tour of Madagascar

madagascar north tour Antananarivo to Diégo Suarez

Tsiribihina, Tsingy of Bemaraha and baobabs tour

East tour to Madagascar and Sainte Marie island

Madagascar highland tour and the old train of Fianarantsoa Côte Est railway

Madagascar between land and sea tour from Morondava to Toliara