Betsileo people
Betsileo children | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 4.359 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Madagascar | |
| Languages | |
| Betsileo | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Austronesian peoples, Bantu people, Merina, other Malagasy people |
The Betsileo are a highland ethnic group of Madagascar, the third largest in terms of population. They derive their name, meaning "The Many Invincible Ones", from King Besilau who repelled an invasion by the Sakalava-Menabe kingdom in the 1670s.