Human settlement of Madagascar occurred during or before the mid first millennium AD[15] by Austronesian peoples, presumably arriving on outrigger canoes from present-day Indonesia.[16] These were joined around the 9th century AD by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa.[17] Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. The Malagasy ethnic group is often divided into 18 or more subgroups, of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5275910&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310864",#45827097)