Discover
The identity of the nation
Madagascar is the fourth largest island on the planet, separated from mainland Africa by the Mozambique Channel. Isolated for millions of years, the island holds a nature found nowhere else in the world, and a people who are also unique: the Malagasy were born from the meeting of navigators from Southeast Asia and peoples of African origin, a mixture that shows up in the language, the cuisine, and the customs.
Faith in the country is just as diverse. About half the population identifies as Christian, split between Catholics, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (the country’s largest Protestant church), and other, smaller denominations. But for many Malagasy, even among those who call themselves Christian, faith in Christ coexists with the veneration of the razana, the ancestors, honored in ceremonies such as the famadihana, when the bones of the dead are exhumed, wrapped in new cloth, and celebrated with the whole family gathered.
The history of the gospel on the island began under persecution. In the 19th century, a royal ban on Christianity led to the execution of those who refused to abandon their faith, but the first Malagasy Christians chose to die rather than deny Christ. Decades later, a genuinely Malagasy revival, the fifohazana (“the awakening”), was born within the local church itself and spread through native preachers, still marking the Malagasy way of living out faith today: with much singing, intense prayer, and a strong healing ministry.
Despite this rich history, the gospel has not yet reached every people group on the island. In the north, Muslim-majority communities remain in very little contact with the church. Along the east coast and in the south, entire peoples still live under the weight of fear of breaking a fady, a sacred taboo, and keep their faith centered on ancestors and nature spirits. Add to this years of political instability and widespread poverty, and the picture that emerges is of a nation that already knows the name of Christ but still needs to live it out in depth and carry it to those who have never heard.
- Peoples from Southeast Asia cross the ocean by canoe and settle on the island, later meeting peoples of African origin.
- 16th-18th century Local kingdoms form in the island's central highlands.
- 1810 One of the kingdoms unifies much of the territory, with British support.
- 1835 Christianity is banned by decree; decades of persecution begin against the first Malagasy Christians.
- 1861 The ban ends and the local church begins meeting openly again.
- 1896 The island becomes a French colony.
- 1960 Madagascar gains independence.
- 1990 A strong evangelical and charismatic church movement grows alongside the older denominations.
- 2025 A new political crisis leads to a change of government, with a transition and elections planned for the coming years.
- Today A nation of majority Christian faith, still marked by syncretism, poverty, and political challenges.
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Malagasynational and official language, spoken by nearly the entire population, with several regional dialects
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Frenchsecond official language, used most in public administration, higher education, and business
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Englishrarely used day to day, more common in tourism and among young people in major cities
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, separated from mainland Africa by the Mozambique Channel. Isolated for millions of years, the island developed a nature all its own: about 90% of its plants and animals exist nowhere else on the planet. The terrain varies widely from one region to another, from the cooler central highlands to the humid forests of the east, the drier savannas of the west, and the arid landscape of the south.
Major cities
- AntananarivoCapital and largest city, on the central highlands, the country's political and economic hub
- ToamasinaThe country's main port, on the east coast
- AntsirabeCity of hot springs, known for its mild climate
- MahajangaPort in the northwest, with a strong Muslim community presence
- FianarantsoaUniversity and cultural center of the south, in a wine-producing region
- ToliaraCoastal city in the southwest, gateway to the arid landscape of the south
Climate and temperature
Vary
Rice, the base of almost every Malagasy meal, eaten several times a day
Romazava
Meat stew with leafy greens, considered the national dish
Ravitoto
Pounded and cooked cassava leaves, served with pork or zebu meat
Koba
Sweet peanut, rice, and sugar cake, cooked wrapped in banana leaf
Mofo gasy
Fried rice cake, common at breakfast and sold on the streets
Zebu
Meat from the humped ox raised in large numbers on the island, present at festivals and rituals
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Fihavanana, the bond that unites
The sense of kinship and solidarity among family and neighbors guides nearly every social decision.
Respect for ancestors
The razana (ancestors) are seen as present and influential in the lives of the living, and deserve ongoing honor.
The mora mora pace
Life follows a calm, unhurried rhythm, known as mora mora (little by little); rushing is viewed with suspicion.
Fady, sacred taboos
Every family, clan, or place has its own taboos, the fady: a food, a day, a gesture that must not be done there.
The zebu as a symbol
This humped ox is a sign of wealth and status, used in dowries, sacrifices, and important festivals.
The valiha and music
The valiha, a bamboo zither considered the national instrument, accompanies ceremonies, festivals, and daily life for the Malagasy people.
- Pointing with the index finger It is fady (forbidden) in many regions, especially toward a tomb; point with an open hand instead.
- Touching someone's head without permission The head is considered sacred, especially a child's.
- Ignoring a local taboo (fady) Every place has its own unwritten rules; ask before acting, even in something that seems harmless.
- Showing haste or impatience Life follows a calm rhythm, the mora mora; rushing is read as disrespect.
- Entering a village without greeting the elders Age commands automatic respect from the first contact.
- Treating the ancestor ceremony with contempt The famadihana, when the bones of the dead are gathered and honored, is central to the culture; treat it with respect, even without taking part.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Veneration of the razana and ceremonies such as the famadihana compete with Christ as the only source of life and hope.
Fear of breaking a fady or displeasing a spirit still weighs on daily decisions.
Consulting diviners and healers to learn the future or explain misfortune is a common practice.
Many Christians blend faith in Christ with traditional rituals, without truly breaking from the old worship.
Successive power crises undermine trust in institutions and slow the country's development.
Most of the rural population lives below the poverty line, trapped in a cycle that is hard to break.
Rapid deforestation threatens unique forests and the livelihood of those who depend on them.
Remote coastal communities remain with almost no contact with a living church or the gospel.
Half the country calls itself Christian, but few live out a personal, transforming faith.
Old rivalries among the island's peoples and caste legacies still generate prejudice.
Religious freedom is guaranteed by law, and in daily life Christians in Madagascar can gather, evangelize, and build churches without state repression. The pressure that does exist is mainly social and family based, not institutional.
Those who decide to leave the veneration of ancestors to follow Christ more radically often face disapproval from their own family, which sees the famadihana (the ceremony honoring ancestors’ bones) and other traditional rites as a non-negotiable part of Malagasy identity. Refusing to take part in these rituals can cause tension and even break family ties, in a culture where kinship, the fihavanana, is at the center of social life.
Among Muslims in the north and northwest, converting to Christianity also carries a high social cost, with the risk of rejection by one’s own community. Meanwhile, the political instability of recent years, with successive changes of government, makes any long-term planning for the local church difficult, including leadership training and outreach among peoples still without access to the gospel.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Madagascar is home to about 40 people groups catalogued by the Joshua Project, most of them subgroups of the Malagasy people spread across the island. Eleven of these groups, totaling nearly 650,000 people, are still considered unreached, including Muslim-majority communities in the north and coastal peoples who hold to ancestor worship. Even among the peoples already reached by the gospel, the share of committed evangelicals remains low, a sign that in many places Christian faith is still more a family tradition than a personal conviction.
- 647K Unreached 1,9%
- 12.9M Minimally reached 39,9%
- 2.2M Superficially reached 6,9%
- 7.7M Partially reached 23,7%
- 8.9M Significantly reached 27,5%
- 11 Unreached 27,5%
- 13 Minimally reached 32,5%
- 4 Superficially reached 10%
- 8 Partially reached 20%
- 4 Significantly reached 10%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Árabe Iemenita Frontier
Comorian, Maore
Gujarati Frontier
Bushi Frontier
Comoriano Ngazidja
Comorian, Mwali Frontier
Comorense ndzwani
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
one of the cheapest countries in the world to live in, but local wages are also very low
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn a few words in Malagasy: it opens doors and shows respect, even outside the capital.
- Find out what is fady (forbidden) wherever you are, and ask whenever in doubt.
- Have patience with the mora mora pace, slow and unhurried: showing impatience is frowned upon.
- Bring cash: cards have limited use outside the major centers.
- Take care of your health: bring insect repellent, drink treated water, and check recommended vaccines before the trip.
- Respect sacred sites and cemeteries; never point at a tomb or take photos without permission.
- The roads outside main routes are poor, and trips between cities usually take much longer than the distance suggests.
- Internet is unreliable outside major cities: download maps and information offline before traveling.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.