The Merina is the largest ethnic group in Madagascar. Boasting a population of 3 million, which equals to about one-quarter of the country's population, they speak a Malayo-Polynesian tongue and are concentrated in the central highlands.

Their ancestors migrated from Indonesia during the pre-historic times. As a conservative tribe, the Merina had little intermarriage with the people of African descent, owing to the fact that they are highly particular about racial purity. Today, the Indonesian features of the Merina are still quite visible [1].

Like most tribes, the Merina practice a syncretism of Christianity and Animism.

In the late 18th century Merina rulers began to assert political domination over much of the island. In 1895-96 the French abolished the Merina monarchy by force.

External Links

• The Merina nation