▁the ▁island , ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁religion ▁took ▁hold ▁in ▁only ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁sout he astern ▁coast al ▁communities . ▁Today , ▁Muslim s ▁const itute ▁ 3 – 7   percent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁and ▁are ▁largely ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁north western ▁provinces ▁of ▁Mah aj anga ▁and ▁An ts ir an ana . ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁Muslim s ▁are ▁Sun ni . ▁Muslim s ▁are ▁divided ▁between ▁those ▁of ▁Mal ag asy ▁eth nic ity , ▁Indians , ▁Pakistan is ▁and ▁Com or ans . ▁ ▁More ▁recently , ▁H indu ism ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Mad agas car ▁through ▁Gu jar ati ▁people ▁imm igr ating ▁from ▁the ▁Sa uras ht ra ▁region ▁of ▁India ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Most ▁H ind us ▁in ▁Mad agas car ▁speak ▁Gu jar ati ▁or ▁H indi ▁at ▁home . ▁ ▁Culture ▁ ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁eth nic ▁sub groups ▁in ▁Mad agas car ▁ad here ▁to ▁their ▁own ▁set ▁of ▁belief s , ▁practices ▁and ▁ways ▁of ▁life ▁that ▁have ▁histor ically ▁contributed ▁to ▁their ▁unique ▁ident ities . ▁However , ▁there ▁are ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁core ▁cultural ▁features ▁that ▁are ▁common ▁throughout ▁the ▁island , ▁creating ▁a ▁strongly ▁un ified ▁Mal ag asy ▁cultural ▁identity . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁a ▁common ▁language ▁and ▁shared ▁traditional ▁religious ▁belief s ▁around ▁a ▁cre ator ▁god ▁and ▁v ener ation ▁of ▁the ▁ancest ors , ▁the ▁traditional ▁Mal ag asy ▁world