The Malagasy ethnic group is often divided into 18 or more subgroups, of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands. Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. These were joined around the 9th century AD by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa. Human settlement of Madagascar occurred during or before the mid first millennium AD by Austronesian peoples, presumably arriving on outrigger canoes from present-day Indonesia. Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot over 90% of its wildlife is endemic. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from the Indian subcontinent around 88 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation. The nation is home to around 30 million inhabitants and consists of the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world), along with numerous smaller peripheral islands. At 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi) Madagascar is the world's second-largest island country, after Indonesia. Madagascar ( / ˌ m æ d ə ˈ ɡ æ s k ər, - k ɑːr/ Malagasy: Madagasikara), officially the Republic of Madagascar (Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, Malagasy pronunciation: French: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel.
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