▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁L anguages ▁ ▁The ▁Mal ag asy ▁language ▁is ▁of ▁Mal ay o - Pol yn esian ▁origin ▁and ▁is ▁generally ▁spoken ▁throughout ▁the ▁island . ▁The ▁numerous ▁dialect s ▁of ▁Mal ag asy , ▁which ▁are ▁generally ▁mut ually ▁intellig ible , ▁can ▁be ▁cluster ed ▁under ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁sub groups : ▁eastern ▁Mal ag asy , ▁spoken ▁along ▁the ▁eastern ▁for ests ▁and ▁high lands ▁including ▁the ▁Mer ina ▁dialect ▁of ▁Ant an an ar ivo , ▁and ▁western ▁Mal ag asy , ▁spoken ▁across ▁the ▁western ▁coast al ▁pla ins . ▁French ▁became ▁the ▁official ▁language ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period , ▁when ▁Mad agas car ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁France . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁national ▁Constitution ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁Mal ag asy ▁and ▁French ▁were ▁named ▁the ▁official ▁languages ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁Republic . ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁a ▁franc oph one ▁country , ▁and ▁French ▁is ▁mostly ▁spoken ▁as ▁a ▁second ▁language ▁among ▁the ▁educated ▁population ▁and ▁used ▁for ▁international ▁communication . ▁ ▁No ▁official ▁languages ▁were ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁although ▁Mal ag asy ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁language . ▁Non eth eless , ▁many ▁sources ▁still ▁claimed ▁that ▁Mal ag asy ▁and ▁French ▁were ▁official ▁languages , ▁eventually ▁leading ▁a ▁citiz en ▁to ▁initi ate ▁a ▁legal ▁case ▁against ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁on ▁the