Merina

The Merina are one of the indigenous peoples of Madagascar, now known as Malagasy. Although Madagascar is geographically far closer to Africa than to Asia, the cultural and genetic origins of the Merina and other Malagasy peoples lie in Indonesia. During the nineteenth century the Merina became the dominant ethnic group in Madagascar, conquering most of the island before being unseated by the French, who invaded the island in 1895.