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. This article is becoming very long. ... Animism is the belief in personalized, supernatural beings (or souls) that often inhabit ordinary animals and objects, governing their existence. ... The Betsileo are a highland tribe in Madagascar, the third largest in terms of population, numbering around one million. ... The Malagasy (in French also les Malgaches) ethnic group forms the vast majority of the population of Madagascar. ... The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages. ...

Their ancestors, the Malays, migrated from the Malay archipelago around the beginning of the common era. Today, the Indonesian features of the Merina are still quite visible [1]. Malays (Dutch, Maleiërs, ultimately from Malay: Melayu) are a diverse group of Austronesian peoples inhabiting the Malay archipelago and Malay peninsula in Southeast Asia. ... mtDNA-based chart of large human migrations. ... World map depicting Malay Archipelago The Malay Archipelago is a vast archipelago located between mainland Southeastern Asia (Indochina) and Australia. ... The Common Era (CE), is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 on the Gregorian calendar. ...

Like most tribes, the Merina practice a syncretism of Christianity and Animism. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Columbia University physics professor, see Norman Christ. ... Animism is the belief in personalized, supernatural beings (or souls) that often inhabit ordinary animals and objects, governing their existence. ...

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. 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

• The Merina nation