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They also speak a language derived from Maa (the language of the Maasai), which sounds similar to the Kenyan dialect. They share a few similar customs like traditional dancing, and they do this in a remarkably similar way. Interestingly, the Samburu and the Maasai share some common traits. The land in that region is dry and harsh, and the tribespeople move around to secure feeding grounds and water for their cattle. The Samburu people of Northern Kenya number around 350 000 and are semi-migratory. Some Maasai have also adopted a more modern lifestyle in parallel to older traditional groups. Much of the original lands belonging to the Maasai became national parks under government developments. The traditional dress of the Maasai is also very distinctive, with long red and blue garments, beads, and headdresses standard for the culture. Raw meat, blood, and milk are vital parts of a traditional Maasai diet. In total, the tribe numbers around two million across the two countries. They are one of the best-known African ethnic groups due to their proximity to some of Africa’s most famous game parks and reserves. The Maasai people live in Kenya and Tanzania, even though they originated in South Sudan. Like many other tribes in the Omo River region, planned modern developments in Ethiopia – like a dam project that would flood their homelands – threaten the Karo. Tribespeople use ochre and animal fat in coloring, hair styling, and other rituals. They create elaborate body paint artwork and scarification patterns in their traditions. The Karo also practice the bull-jumping ceremony. Much of the Karo population suffered from a sleeping sickness epidemic ( East African trypanosomiasis), a disease spread by the tsetse fly, at the end of the 1800s. The Karo people of Ethiopia are possibly the smallest ethnically identified tribe in Africa at present, numbering under 2000.
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Traditionally, the eldest male is the head of a family. Members belong to both their father’s and their mother’s clans. The tribe employs a system mainly based on clans. This may be due to the harsh environment in which the tribe lives. They live remarkably traditional lives with little influence from modern living. The primary language of the Himba is OtjiHimba.ĭespite a history fraught with political and environmental disasters, the Himba people managed to survive. Traditionally, they were one of the nomadic tribes of Africa. The Himba live in the northern part of Namibia and number around 50 000. It is one of the fascinating African tribal customs that outsiders may not completely understand. In this same ritual, women of the tribe will invite a ceremonial whipping to show their support for the boys. It is the coming-of-age ceremony for boys when they have to run across the backs of bulls to enter adulthood. The Hamar people are probably best known to outsiders as the tribe with the tradition of bull jumping. Though the precise numbers of Hamar today are uncertain, previous census data puts their number somewhere between 45 000 and 60 000. Most of the Hamar people from the beautiful country of Ethiopia inhabit a particular area in the Omo Valley district.
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Still, they are among the most well-known. Not all of these African cultures and tribes may be huge in number – at least not anymore. The 11 Most Iconic African Tribe Names & Cultures Let’s take a look at just eleven of the major tribal cultures on the continent of Africa. A huge diversity of people define Africa’s history and lore. That said, this article is about the cultures of Africa and its amazing tribes. That’s not even accounting for the many ethnicities that have come to Africa through migration, whether from Europe and the West or the Near-, Middle- and Far East. These tribes have different customs, languages, and beliefs, which makes for fascinating exploration. There are over 3000 different African cultures and tribes. Not surprisingly, the continent’s indigenous peoples split into several African tribes, mainly based on the region concerned. It is home to approximately 1.3 billion people, spread out amongst 54 countries. Africa is the second-largest continent on the planet.