Melanau (Malay: Orang Melanau, Melanau: Tenawan Melanau) or A-Likou (meaning River people in Mukah dialect) is an ethnic group indigenous to Sarawak, Malaysia, and also present in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak. They speak the Melanau language, which is a part of the North Bornean branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages.

In the 19th century, the Melanaus settled in scattered communities along the main tributaries of the Rajang River in Central Sarawak. They prefer to be known as Melanau or A-Likou. For most Melanau, the word 'Dayak' is inappropriate for them as it was a word used by the Westerners for the inhabitant of Borneo, while the Melanau people already had their own identity and culture as A-Likou (Melanau). Melanau or problematic Kajang-speaking tribes such as the Sekapan, the Rajang, the Tanjung, and the Kanowit gradually moved and assimilated into Dayak migrations settling in the Rajang. The Melanau people were regarded as a sub-group of the purported Klemantan people.

Today the Punan (or Punan Bah) people are also closely linked to the last riverine dwelling Melanau communities previously inhabiting the middle and upper Rejang tributaries. The Kajang language is kept relatively alive by the isolated Sekapan communities Kapit division of Sarawak.

The Melanau are considered among the earliest settlers in Sarawak. The name Melanau was not used by the Melanau to refer to themselves until recently. They call themselves a-likou meaning 'people of the river'. Legend has it that the name Melanau was given by the Malays of Brunei to the inhabitants of the coastal swamp flats and riverbanks of central Sarawak which might signify "coast-dweller". This legend cannot be considered a viable origin of the name since the name Malano has been used to refer to the region in historical records of writings and maps of Western, Chinese, and Javanese sources even before the establishment of Brunei Kingdom and the arrival of Malays to Borneo from Sumatra.

Eda Green, writing in 1909, referred to "... the Milanes, whose girls are as fair as any Europeans and the belles of Borneo."

Throughout history, places where the Melanaus traditional areas were described as either their local places such as Mukah, Igan, etc., or by the wider state or region name Malano.

Before the Melanaus are known today as the ethnic name, the origins are vague as written records were not a common norm among the natives of Borneo. However, the linguistic evidence survived till today and ancient culture is preserved up till 19th century. The shared ancient culture of hanging coffin & burial poles (Kelidieng or Jerunei or Lejeng) between Melanaus and some orang ulu tribes such as Punan Bah, Kejaman, Sekapan etc. is a proof of the historical origin of the Melanau people. Not only that, the linguistic fondness to these tribes also is another clue of the bigger ethnic lost family link. The culture of Jerunei is found in areas of Melanaus such as Mukah, Dalat etc. and in Punan areas of Tatau, Belaga etc. and as far as East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. Evidence of ancient Melanau burial site are known to the archeological society in Niah, Sekaloh This group of ancient people (split and broken today to smaller groups of Melanau, Kejaman, Sekapan, Punan Bah etc.) are one of the earliest and original people to settle in the island of Borneo. However, due intense direct influence from the Bruneian Malay Kingdom since 13th century, the culture and lifestyle of the coastal dwelling Melanaus today are highly similar to Malays on the exterior.

The earliest existence of a polity at the mouth of the Rejang river is Kin-li-fo-che (shortened as Kin-fo) in Chinese records of I Ching which was already known in the 7th century. This Malanau empire covers North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Brunei. JL Moens mentioned Fo-che-pou-lo to be in the same location. On Mercator map of 1587 also locates the chief ports on the west coast of Borneo (Brunei) Malano and Puchavarao (Fo-che-pou-lo).