Antankarana
Encyclopedia
The Antankarana is an ethnic group of Madagascar
that inhabits the northern tip of Madagascar
around Antsiranana
. Their name means "the people of the tsingy," the limestone rock formations that distinguish their traditional territory. The tsingy of the Antankarana may be visited at the Ankarana Reserve
.
The Antankarana speak a dialect of the Malagasy language
, which is a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language group
derived from the Barito languages
, spoken in southern Borneo
.
Ethnic groups of Madagascar
The number of ethnic groups of Madagascar has long been a point of contention and debate. The island of Madagascar is predominantly populated by people broadly classified as belonging to the broader Malagasy ethnic identity...
that inhabits the northern tip of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
around Antsiranana
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
. Their name means "the people of the tsingy," the limestone rock formations that distinguish their traditional territory. The tsingy of the Antankarana may be visited at the Ankarana Reserve
Ankarana Reserve
Ankarana Reserve is a small, partially vegetated plateau in northern Madagascar composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about , the underlying rocks are susceptible to erosion, thereby producing caves and underground rivers—a karst topography...
.
The Antankarana speak a dialect of the Malagasy language
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
, which is a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language group
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
derived from the Barito languages
Barito languages
The Barito languages are a score of Dayak languages of Borneo, and most famously Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar. They are named after the Barito River....
, spoken in southern Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.