Merina Kingdom
The Kingdom of Merina, also known as the Kingdom of Madagascar and officially the Kingdom of Imerina (Malagasy: Fanjakan'Imerina; c. 1540–1897), was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 18th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from Imerina, the Central Highlands region primarily inhabited by the Merina ethnic group with a spiritual capital at Ambohimanga and a political capital 24 km (15 mi) west at Antananarivo, currently the seat of government for the modern state of Madagascar.