Ethnic groups in Africa number in the thousands, each generally having its own language (or dialect of a language) and culture.
The largest ethnic groups mostly originate from major historic political kingdoms, such as in West Africa with the Sahelian kingdoms of the medieval period, like that of the Akan, deriving from Bonoman (11th century) then the Kingdom of Ashanti (17th century) [1] and in Central Africa with the Kanuri of the Kanem and Bornu Empires.
OverviewEdit
For more details on this topic, see Demographics of Africa.
The official population count of the various ethnic groups in Africa has in some instances been controversial because certain groups believe populations are fixed to give other ethnicities numerical superiority (as in the case of Nigeria's Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo people).[2][3][4] The following ethnic groups number 10 million people or more:
Central Africa
Luba in Democratic Republic of the Congo (ca. 15 million)
Mongo in Democratic Republic of the Congo (ca. 15 million)
Kongo in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Republic of the Congo (ca. 10 million)
Kanuri in Nigeria,[5] Niger,[6] Chad[7] and Cameroon[8] (ca. 10 million)
Horn of Africa
Oromo in Ethiopia (ca. 30 million)
Amhara in Ethiopia (ca. 25 million)
Somali in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya (ca. 16-19 million)
Tigray-Tigrinya in Ethiopia and Eritrea (ca. 10 million)
North Africa
Arabs in Mauritania, Morocco (including Western Sahara), Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan (ca. 105 million)
Berber in Mauritania, Morocco (including Western Sahara), Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya (ca. 5 million)
Copt in Egypt and Sudan (ca. 40 million)
Southeast Africa
Hutu in Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo (ca. 15 million)
Chewa in Malawi and Zambia (ca. 15 million)
Luo in Uganda, Kenya, and Southern Sudan
Southern Africa
Shona in Zimbabwe and Mozambique (ca. 15 million)
Zulu in South Africa (ca. 10 million)
West Africa
Hausa in Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Chad and Sudan (ca. 50 million)
Fula in Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Chad, Sudan, Togo and Ivory Coast (ca. 40 million)
Yoruba in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone (ca. 40 million)
Igbo in Nigeria (ca. 30 million)
Mande peoples in The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Mauritania and Chad (ca. 30 million)
Akan in Ghana and Ivory Coast (ca. 20 million)
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Posted By: Steve Williams
Monday, October 20th 2014 at 5:50PM
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