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<li>[[Zafimaniry]]<br>
South-central Madagascar: highlands near Ambositra</li></ul>
== African origins of the Malagasies ==
It is assumed that the population of Madagascar was formed through successive migrations of peoples from southeast Asia, the Arabian peninsula and East Africa and were grafted onto an aboriginal population of unknown origin, called the ''Vazimba''. Once established, all these groups created a common language known as Malagasy, spoken and practiced throughout the island.
According to some assertions, the Malagasy are Africans as their country is not far from the African continent, but this is only true for some groups and not the entire population despite the existence of Bantu and Swahili words in the linguistic vocabulary of north western Madagascar. This may be explained by the fact the individuals from the other side of the Mozambique Channel were the objects of the slave trade carried out by Arab and Indian merchants, who came to sell slaves in some ports of the Big Islandbig island. Snatched from the African coastal regions such as Somalia and Zanzibar, these slaves intermarried with the indigenous population continuing to speak their own language while practicing that of the host country.
From the early part of the 19th century eminent scientists from several countries around the world suggest it would be a mistake to consider that all those who have dark skins in Madagascar are of African descent, as among the migrants from southeast Asia there were numbers of Melanesians whose skin colour is similar to that of Africans.
Designated under collective name of ''mozambika'', the Africans sold in Madagascar were emancipated by a royal edict signed by Queen Ranavalona II in 1877 forbidding their sale and immigration to Madagascar and those released could choose between staying as free men in Madagascar or going home. But as many did not know where they came from they remained and integrated themselves into the population, forming part of the nation's lineage.
== Arab origins of the Malagasies ==
For centuries the big island was known to the Arab sailors and traders from the Arabian peninsula, and initially some of them had settled permanently in certain areas of the west coast. Other Arab groups were to arrive during the 14th century, settling in south-eastern Madagascar, on the banks of the river Matatana where they would become the ancestors of Antemoro, Antalana, Antefasy, Antambahoaka and Antanosy people - they called themselves the descendants of Raminia, Ibrahim (Abraham). It is the Arabic language that has most influenced the country because this is the language of the months and days, and it is also to the Arabs that the Malagasy owe the introduction of clothing, bedding accessories, coins, writing tools, certain musical instruments and so many others such as our words of greeting. Among the many Arab traditions inherited by the population is the art of divination or ''sikidy'' which is still practiced.
With this strong Arab influence, Madagascar could have become a Muslim country, but because of one of the surprises that history reserves for mankind, this was not to be the case. In fact, at the time of the introduction of teaching by English missionaries who arrived in Antananarivo in 1820, King Radama I, educated by private tutors, descendants of Arabs from the Vohipeno region, could have been imposed the Arabic language to educate his people but contrary to all expectations, he opted for the use of the Latin alphabet in schools.
The Arabs have left their mark through the Islamisation of the people with whom thay had lived such as those in north western Madagascar, some of whom are their descendants. They could have spread their religion during the many centuries of their settlement in the country, but apparently this was not the purpose of their presence in Madagascar.
