Madagascar’s Society

• The Malagasy society is made of a small elite and bourgeois class and a large lower class.
• A caste system was prevalent in the early Merina society but caste-based discrimination has gradually diluted with time.
• Although gender-based differences are also gradually disappearing from the Malagasy society, a distinct variation in the roles played by the males and females can still be observed in the country.
• Men are the primary bread-earners in most families.

Marriage in Madagascar

• The marriage customs also vary by ethnic groups.
• For example, the Betsileos play great importance to the ancestral history and family background of the potential spouse and once they are fully satisfied they consult an astrologer to fix a date for the marriage.
• Marriage among cousins is not uncommon among the Bara people. These people also sacrifice a cow symbolizing the establishment of a marriage bond.
• Polygyny was more common in precolonial age and in some areas nearly half the men were reported to have married more than once.
• Divorce is common in the Malagasy society.
• Women usually leave their natal homes to live with their husband either in nuclear families or with the extended family of their spouse.
• The division of labor is both age and gender dependent. Women dominate the household sphere while men handle the professional sphere.
• Although men and women are entitled to equal inheritance by law, in practice men inherit the land and household while women inherit jewelry and belongings of the house.
• Education is compulsory for children aged 6 to 14 but many children of school-going years in rural areas drop school to participate in agricultural work in the fields.

Ethnic Groups

• Some twenty ethnic groups of which principal ones are central highlanders (Merina and related Betsileo) and of mixed Arab, African, MalayoIndonesian ancestry.
• Other groups are Comorans, French, IndoPakistanis , and Chinese.

Religion in Madagascar

• Estimated 55 percent hold indigenous beliefs; 40 percent Christian, evenly divided between Roman Catholics and Protestants; 5 percent Muslim.

Madagascar’s Culture

• The culture of Madagascar is an amalgamation of various cultures of its multi-ethnic population.
• The culture of the country reflects the origins of the Malagasy people and exhibits striking resemblance in certain aspects with the cultural practices of Southeast Asians and East Africans.
• The culture of the country is also influenced by the cultures of the Arabic, Indian, French, English, and Chinese settlers in the Country.

Eateries Of Madagascar

• The Malagasy cuisine is based on rice as a staple of the diet and is consumed with nearly every meal.
• Rice is served with different types of accompaniments called kabaka which might have beans, beef, chicken or fish.
• A broth prepared using green leafy vegetables called romazava is also often served with rice.
• Sweet potato, cassava, maize, millet, yams are the most important types of foods consumed in these arid regions. 

Clothing Patterns

• In the highland areas, rural areas, and remote places of the country, traditional dresses are still worn.
• Both men and women wear a lamba, a traditional wrap that is worn around the waist. Women often wear a matching shawl over the head and shoulders.
• In the highland regions, both men and women adorn a white wrap on their shoulders above their garment.
• Various styles of straw hats are worn in the country that helps protect the wearers from the strong rays of the sun.

Music Of Madagascar

• Rock, hip-hop, folk rock, jazz are some of the popular music styles that gained popularity in Madagascar towards the second half of the 20th century.
• Contemporary-style music involves a fusion of traditional music with modern instruments.
• Music is not only played as a source of entertainment but also has an important role to play in spiritual, cultural, and historical events and ceremonies.
• The valiha, a musical instrument made of bamboo reflects the Southeast Asian origin of a section of the Malagasy people and bears similarities with instruments used in the Philippines and Indonesia today.

Literature And Arts

• Madagascar has a rich oral literary tradition where epic poems like Ibonia, historical accounts, mythological tales, and legends have been passed down through generations by word of mouth.
• The earliest written accounts produced here include information about herbal medicines and religious rites that were penned down by “wise men” or ombiasy using the Arabic script called sorabe that was introduced by the Arab sailors.
• Raombana was the first Malagasy historian to document Merina history (the history of Madagascar’s largest ethnic group) in the early 19th century.
• The modern day Malagasy poets and writers promote the use of the Malagasy language and blend it well with the oral traditions prevalent in the country to produce a wealth of Malagasy literature.

Crafts of Madagascar

• A number of craft forms are practiced in Madagascar. These include silk weaving; weaving of plant materials to produce mats, baskets, hats, etc.; wood carving; drawn-thread work; embroidery, etc.