The country's population is made up of several ethnic groups of mixed Indonesian and black African descent. The ethnic groups of the central and south-central highlands tend to resemble Indonesians. Many raise rice in irrigated fields just as do farmers in Indonesia. The coastal ethnic groups more closely resemble black Africans. Many herd cattle as do peoples of eastern Africa.
Political rivalries exist between the coastal and the highland peoples of the country.
But coastal and highland people share control of the government of Madagascar. Malagasy is the language spoken throughout the country. It resembles Malay and Indonesian. French and Malagasy are the official languages. About half of the people are Christians, and about one-tenth are Muslims.