Madagascar is home to a great diversity of communities and traditions. There are 18 distinct ethnic groups, whose names are often linked to specific territories and the country’s history.

Anakao is the largest Vezo fishing village. The sea, traditional dugout canoes (*pirogues*), and fishing expeditions are all part of daily life in this coastal region.

The size of the village depends on the size of the “pass”—the opening in the coral reef that allows boats to cross, regardless of tidal conditions or the state of the swell.

The Tanalana, by contrast, live further inland, beyond the areas inhabited by the Vezo. They are associated with the Mahafaly, a people primarily engaged in agriculture and livestock farming. In this region, where water is scarce, cassava is the main crop.

These communities live in close proximity and have long engaged in trade with one another. In and around Anakao, the coast and the hinterland form two interconnected worlds, each defined by its own unique activities and traditional skills.