Three Major African Ethnic Groups

Africa is a unique and varied continent, containing hundreds of diverse ethnic groups. Many of these ethnic groups are unified through a shared language and cultural traditions. Some of these ethnic groups are quite small, but many of them have populations of well over a million. The Berber people are one such group. With an estimated 65 million Berbers, they are one of largest ethnic groups found in Africa. It is believed that the Berber people have inhabited northern Africa since 3000 BC, and today their tribes span from Morocco to Egypt, with the largest concentrations of Berbers in Algeria and Morocco. Though the Berber were at one time among the earliest Christians, today they are predominantly Muslim and speak Arabic as a primary language. In other ways, their culture has maintained its traditions. Many Berber men raise livestock, while women care for the families. The cuisine has likewise changed very little over time. One dish associated with the Berber people and eaten all over the world is couscous.

The Yoruba are another important ethnic group from Africa. The Yoruba live primarily in Nigeria and Benin. There are an estimated 30 million Yoruba living in these two countries, and they are the largest ethnic group found in western Africa. There are also large communities of Yoruba people living outside of Africa in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The Yoruba are well known for their artwork, especially beadwork, pottery, and mask making. Another interesting fact about the Yoruba is that they have the highest rate of fraternal twins in the world. 4.4% of all Yoruba children are fraternal twins, which means that roughly 1 out of every 22 pregnant Yoruba women carry fraternal twins. In the USA only 1 out of 90 pregnancies carry fraternal twins.

Another large ethnic group found in Africa are the Zulu. The Zulu live almost entirely in South Africa and number around 11 million people. Members of the Zulu people speak Zulu, which is one of South Africa's official languages and today it is the most widely spoken language in South Africa. The Zulu played an important role in apartheid. Apartheid was a policy of racial segregation enforced in South Africa from the late 1940's to the early 1990's. Under the this system, the Zulu were segregated and given fewer opportunities and rights. Today the the Zulu are full citizens of South Africa and have equal rights under the law.

There are many other tribal and ethnic groups found all over Africa. Your assignment this week is to post a comment. In your comment, you need to list one other African ethnicity and one fact about your group. In order to receive credit, comments must be posted by class on Friday.