The Tanala are a Malagasy ethnic group that inhabit a forested inland region of south-east Madagascar near Manakara.

Both groups trace their origin back to a noble ancestor named Ralambo, who is believed to be of Arab descent.

The Tanala speak a dialect of the Malagasy language and adhere to numerous fady such as a prohibition against visiting a nobleman when he is ill, or closing the door to the house during mealtimes to prevent others from watching one eat.

[2] They inhabit the southern portion of a massif that abruptly drops along a steep cliff to its east into the coastal rainforest.

These newcomers traced their origins back to a leader called Rambo, whose gender is disputed in the oral histories.

[9] The kingdom achieved its maximum extent (a span of 100 kilometers between the Faraony and Matetana rivers) in the mid-18th century under King Andriamatahetany.

[14] Nobles frequently married with powerful commoner families to establish political alliances for greater influence and the stability and security of their territory.

[15][16] After their death, relics (lambohamba) of nobles were sometimes kept and would be ritually bathed as part of an annual celebration held at a particular location in the Sandrananta valley.

This typically consisted of requiring the accused to swim from one bank of a river to the other and back; if attacked by a crocodile, the party was considered guilty.

In the past, after delivery of a baby the mother would wash her hands in the blood of a freshly sacrificed chicken, bathe herself in hot water, and then rest upright beside a fire to make her sweat out impurities.

Immediately after this period beside the fire was concluded, a party was held, which the mother had to attend regardless of her condition; the event was marked by the slaughter of zebu.

[16] In Tanala country, each village near a river would enclose a portion of the bank with stakes to protect women and children from crocodiles when fetching water.

Mat clothing (tafitsihy) for women consisted of several rectangular pieces stitched together into a tube that was worn drawn up at the shoulder or belted at the waist, while men wore a beaten bark loincloth and a mat jacket or tunic with longer sleeves for older men.

[26] Among certain Tanala communities, the Indri lemur (babakoto) is considered sacred and is protected by a range of fady.

[5] In certain Tanala communities, bodies are buried in a tomb, while among others, they are placed inside huts in a designated part of the forest, which is thereafter considered sacred and forbidden to visit.

The Tanala is close to the official dialect, spoken by the Merina of the central highlands, with some minor pronunciation differences.