People group profile · PG015304
The Antankarana of Madagascar
The Antankarana of Madagascar, numbering about 578,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a northern Malagasy people of Madagascar whose identity is rooted in Antankarana traditions, kinship networks, cattle keeping, agriculture, and a cultural heritage shaped by royal and ancestral institutions.
They are an indigenous people in the Malagasy people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Antankarana Malagasy.
Fast facts
- Country
- Madagascar
- Population
- 578,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malagasy
- Primary language
- Antankarana Malagasy (xmv)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Antankarana are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Antankarana
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Folk Islam · Islam
90% adherents
Primary language
Antankarana Malagasy · Austronesian family
100% speak Antankarana Malagasy
Gospel resources in Antankarana Malagasy
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Malagasy, Antankarana)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Antankarana
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
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