France was the country that invaded and took "control of Madagascar" in the late '1800s'.
Explanation:
Though the first European to discover the island of Madagascar was a Portuguese, the first to invade it and establish their control over it were the French.
The first invasion of the Madagascar island by the French took place in 1883.
Later, around 1896, the French succeeded in establishing complete control over the island. It was given freedom on the 26th of June, 1960.
