Total population | |
---|---|
2,079,000[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Madagascar | |
Languages | |
Sakalava Malagasy and French | |
Religion | |
Christianity (Catholicism, commoners), Fomba Gasy (traditional religion), Islam (royalty)[2] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Malagasy groups, Bantu peoples, Austronesian peoples |
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar.[3] They are found on the western and northwest region of the island, in a band along the coast. The Sakalava constitute about 6.2 percent of the total population,[4] that is about 2,079,000 in 2018.[5] Their name means "people of the long valleys." They occupy the western edge of the island from Toliara in the south to the Sambirano River in the north.