The indigenous people of Madagascar are descended from which region?

• A. Africa
• B. Indonesia
• C. Europe
• D. India

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is where Madagascar’s indigenous population ultimately originated. Malagasy people descend from Austronesian-speaking sailors who came from Southeast Asia, particularly the Indonesian archipelago, and settled Madagascar in the early centuries CE. This origin is supported by language: Malagasy is part of the Austronesian language family, closely related to languages from Indonesia, which points to Southeast Asian roots rather than Africa. Genetic and archaeological evidence likewise tracks the founding population to maritime Southeast Asia and then later intermixing with African groups once in Madagascar. So, even though Madagascar sits off the coast of Africa, its earliest inhabitants trace their ancestry to Indonesia. The other regions don’t fit the linguistic and genetic patterns that identify the Malagasy as Austronesian-linked settlers from that part of the world.