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Sakalava - ''People of the long valleys'' - is a coastal tribe of approximately 700,000 people who , living in the western Madagascar between [[Mahanjanga]] and [[Toliara]]. They once comprised an ancient empire centred in southern Madagascar, ruled by their own kings and queens. The Sakalavas are moreso a diverse ethnic group, than an ethnic group in its own right. The Their dark skin, Polynesian appearance and short curly hair, as well as the Sakalava dialect and colourful African characteristics distinguishes its the Sakalava people from other ethnic groups in Madagascar. The Sakalava are cattle raisers. Prosperity is meassured on the number of cattle owned. Compared to women of other tribes, the Sakalava women have a higher social status in the community.<br clear="all">