Ambovontany

Ambovontany was a settlement in Androy, the arid southern country of Madagascar's Tandroy people. The Tandroy clans herded zebu and grew drought-resistant crops; their tombs were marked with piles of cattle skulls.

In the early 18th century the Zafimanara dynasty united the land between the Menarandra and Mendare rivers in a confederation. Severe floods around 1790 drove the dynasty to the Manombo plateau, and the kingdom broke apart. The harsh country later helped spare the Tandroy from conquest by the expanding Kingdom of Imerina.