What peoples inhabit the country of Africa. Wild tribes of Africa

PEOPLES OF AFRICA

Africa is a continent, almost all of whose countries until recently were completely colonially dependent on European states. For several centuries, colonialists exploited the indigenous population and plundered the natural resources of African countries. In the 15th-17th centuries, during the era of initial accumulation of capital, Africa became the main territory from which slaves were exported for the American colonies of European states. As K. Marx put it, it turned into a “reserved hunting ground for blacks.” The slave trade led to a long delay in the development of productive forces and degradation of the economy, reducing the population of Africa. The total loss of Africa's population from the slave trade, including those killed during slave hunts and those killed en route, amounted to tens of millions of people.

The colonial division of Africa was completed at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, during the period when the development of capitalism entered its highest and final stage. At this time, according to V.I. Lenin, “a huge “rise” of colonial conquests begins, the struggle for the territorial division of the world intensifies to an extreme degree.” Almost all of Africa was divided between European powers. On the eve of the Second World War, only Egypt, Liberia and the Union of South Africa were considered independent states. These three states accounted for 7.7% of the African continent's area and 17% of the population.

After the Second World War, the collapse of the world colonial system and the collapse of imperialist domination in the countries of Asia and Africa began. The colonialists are trying to maintain their dominance by using new methods and forms of colonial enslavement, strengthening economic impact to African countries.

The decline and disintegration of the world system of capitalism, the growth of power and strengthening of the influence of the world socialist system, the liberation of the peoples of Asia from colonial rule - all of this served as the most important factors contributing to the sharp rise of the national liberation movement in Africa. In many African countries, a struggle unfolded against the colonial regime and for national liberation. The national liberation struggle has already brought political independence to most African peoples. In 1951 she achieved independence Libya, in 1955 - Eritrea, in 1956 - Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan. The Gold Coast and British Togo formed the independent state of Ghana in 1957. Guinea became independent in 1958. In 1960, which is rightly called the “year of Africa,” the French trust territories of Cameroon and Togo, the French colonies of Senegal, Sudan (Mali), Madagascar (Malagasy Republic), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Niger, Dahomey were freed from colonial oppression , Chad, Oubangui-Chari (Central African Republic), Congo (with its capital Brazzaville), Gabon and Mauritania 3 . The Belgian colony of the Congo, the British protectorate of Somaliland and the Italian trust territory of Somalia (the latter two united into the single Republic of Somalia), as well as the largest country in Africa, Nigeria, also gained independence. In April 1961, the independence of another British colony and protectorate, Sierra Leone, was declared. At the end of 1961, trusteeship of the British Trust Territory of Cameroon ended. As a result of the referendum, the southern part of this territory was reunited with the Republic of Cameroon, and the northern part was annexed to Nigeria. Tanganyika gained independence. Thus, by the end of 1962, independent states in Africa already occupied 81% of the territory, and their population amounted to almost 88% of the total population of the continent.

New, independent African states, as a rule, were created within the boundaries of the old colonial possessions, established at one time by the imperialists and not corresponding to ethnic boundaries. Therefore, the vast majority of African states are multinational. Some peoples of Africa are settled in several states. Thus, the Mandingo, numbering 3.2 million people, live in Senegal, Mali, the Ivory Coast, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Portuguese Guinea, Liberia and the Republic of Guinea. The Fulbe are settled in Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Cameroon, Niger, Upper Volta, Dahomey, Mauritania, Gambia and other countries. The Akan people, who form the majority in Ghana, also live in the Ivory Coast. My peoples are divided by state borders between Upper Volta and Ghana; Hausa - between Nigeria and Niger, Banya-Rwanda - between Rwanda and Congo, etc. The discrepancy between political and ethnic borders is a serious obstacle to the national development of many peoples in Africa; it complicates relations between new states.

Population of the African continent together with the surroundings islands surrounding it reaches 250 million peoplecatcher In the countries of North and North-East76.3 million live in Africa, in Western Sudan -69.2 million, in Central and Eastern Sudan - 19.3 million, in Tropical Africa -52.1 million, in South Africa - 26.6 million, on the islands (Madagascar, etc.) - 6.4 million people. Most African countries, especially in recent years, are characterized by relatively rapid growth population. On the continent as a whole, from 1920 to 1959 it increased by 77%. The influx of immigrants to African countries from Europe and Asia is insignificant - no more than 100-150 thousand people per year. According to the UN Demographic Directory, in Africa (from 1950 to 1959), an average of 46 people were born per 1000 people each year and 27 people died, i.e., natural population growth was 1.9%, which is higher than the average population growth rate for around the world as a whole (1.7%).

The structure of natural population growth in most African countries is characterized by high fertility and high mortality. Until quite recently, the unusually difficult economic living conditions of the population of African countries that were under colonial rule and the lack of basic medical care were the cause of high mortality. A comparison of data on fertility and mortality for individual population groups is very revealing in this regard. In Algeria in 1949-1954. the birth rate among Arabs fluctuated between 3.3-4.4% per year, mortality - 1.3-1.5%, while among Europeans the birth rate was 1.9 - 2.1%, mortality - 0.8 -1.0%.

In African countries, until very recently, there was a very high infant mortality rate. In a number of African regions of the Republic of South Africa, until recently, out of 1,000 children born, 295 people died in the first year. Among the European population, infant mortality was many times lower. In recent years, there has been a slight decrease in mortality while the birth rate remains high. First of all, does this apply to countries that have gained independence and are rapidly developing their economies, caring about the growth of the material and cultural level of the population (Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Ghana, etc.)? which caused a sharp increase in natural population growth in these countries. In Tunisia it increased from 1.5% (1940) to 3.7 (1958), in Ghana from 1.0 (1931-1944). to 3.2% (1958). In Sudan, natural population growth reached 3.3% in 1956. On the contrary, where colonialism has persisted in its most severe forms, mortality is still very high and natural increase is negligible. In Portuguese Guinea, natural population growth in 1957 was only 0.5%. In the Congo (a former Belgian colony), the average annual increase for 1949-1953. equaled 1.0%, in Mozambique from 1950-1954 - 1.2%, etc.

Low natural population growth is also typical for countries where the population still maintains a nomadic lifestyle. In Libya, where nomads make up 1/3 of the population, there is a very high mortality rate (4.2% in 1954). From 1921 to 1958, that is, in 37 years, Libya's population increased by only 26% (almost three times less than the continental average).

The African population consists of many nations, with modern nationalities and tribes. Their modern placement ethnic composition on the African continent - the result of complexethnic history, about which very little is still known. Its main stages are associated, firstly, with multiple movements in Tropical Africa of indigenous, predominantly Negroid peoples (the most significant of these movements was the gradual penetration of the Bantu peoples into East and Southern Africa in the first millennium AD); secondly, with the resettlement in the 7th-11th centuries. to North Africa by Arabs from Asia and the process of Arabization of local Berber-speaking peoples; thirdly, with European colonization and colonial conquests.

Modern African peoples are at different stages of socio-economic development and at different stages of the formation of ethnic communities. Most of them have not yet formed into a nation, and this is primarily to blame for the colonial system, which in every possible way hindered the economic, cultural and national development of African peoples. Defenders of colonialism spent a lot of effort to prove that African peoples are not yet “ready” for independent life, that “ethnic chaos” and extraordinary ethnic fragmentation reign in Africa, and that the backwardness of the African population is connected with this. Indeed, the ethnic composition of Africa's population is complex. However, behind the apparent diversity of ethnic names they often hide large ethnic communities. There is an intensive process of merging and mixing of small ethnic groups. The penetration of capitalism into the colonial village and the development of capitalist forms of economy, the widespread spread of highly commercial plantation crops, the growth of the mining industry and the increase in the urban population, the seasonal movements of large masses of workers in search of work - all this is accompanied by the destruction of the natural economy and the associated primitive communal and patriarchal-feudal orders . Tribal differences are being erased, common literary languages ​​are being formed, and national self-awareness is growing. In a powerful liberation movement against the shameful colonial system, previously disparate tribes and nationalities are merging into a single whole. The process of formation of large nationalities and nations is underway.

The classification of African peoples is usually based on the principle of linguistic proximity. African languages ​​are grouped into families, divided into groups, and into groups equivalent to families. A language family includes languages ​​related by origin with a similar grammatical structure and basic vocabulary that goes back to common roots. There are several such language families in Africa: Semitic-Hamitic, Bantu, Mande (Mandingo) and Nilotic. There are many languages ​​in Africa that, due to their insufficient study, cannot be assigned to specific language families and their relationship is not fully proven. Such languages ​​are grouped into groups: Hausa, Eastern Bantoid, Gur (Central Bantoid), Atlantic (Western Bantoid), Songhai, Guinean, Kanuri, Khoisan.

In Central and Eastern Sudan there are languages ​​that are almost unstudied (Azande, Banda, Bagirmi, etc.). The peoples who speak these languages ​​are conditionally united into one group - the peoples of Central and Eastern Sudan.

Three main linguistic regions can be distinguished on the African continent: in the northern and northeastern parts, the languages ​​of the Semitic-Hamitic family are spoken almost exclusively; in the tropical and southern - the languages ​​of the Bantu family predominate; in Sudan (Western, Central and Eastern), the population speaks languages ​​united in various language families and groups (Hausa, Eastern Bantoid, Gur, Atlantic, etc.).

In the North and North East Africa(Maghreb, Sahara, United Arab Republic, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eastern Sudan) peoples speaking the languages ​​of the Semitic-Hamitic family were settled. This family combines the Semitic, Cushitic and Berber groups. The total number of peoples speaking these languages ​​is 82.5 million people, which is about a third of the total population of Africa. Semitic languages ​​are spoken by 66.2 million people, Cushitic languages ​​by about 11 million people, and Berber languages ​​by 5.3 million people. Of the Semitic languages, Arabic is the most widely spoken. It is used by over 52 million people. Literary Arabic is very different from spoken Arabic, which in Africa is divided into three main dialects: Maghreb, Egyptian and Sudanese.

Arabs appeared in North Africa in the 7th-11th centuries The ancient peoples of North Africa (Maghreb and Sahara), whom ancient authors called Libyans, spoke Berber languages ​​before the Arab conquest. Mass migration of Arab tribes (Hilal and Sulaym) in the 11th century. had a significant influence on the Berbers. The Berbers adopted the Muslim religion, and most of them gradually Arabized. There is no difference between Arabs and Berbers in the nature of their economy: on the coast of North Africa and in the oases of the desert zone, these peoples are engaged in irrigated agriculture, in the mountainous regions of the Maghreb and in the Sahara they are engaged in cattle breeding and lead a nomadic lifestyle.

Currently, it is difficult to draw a clear line between the Arab and Berber populations. Over the past 30-50 years, in most Maghreb countries, the process of mixing Arabs and Berbers has noticeably intensified. Back in the 1930s, Berber dialects were spoken by 40% of the population in Morocco, about 30% in Algeria, and 2% in Tunisia. Currently, in Morocco the Berber-speaking population is 30, in Algeria - 15, in Tunisia - 1.4%. The majority of the Berber-speaking population of the Maghreb speaks Arabic outside the home, professes Islam and considers themselves Arabs. The process of formation of large nations is being completed: Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian.

In the United Arab Republic, the population consists almost exclusively of Arabs (Egyptians). The UAR is a country of ancient African culture. Back in the IV-III millennium BC. here, on the basis of plow irrigation agriculture, a powerful slaveholding state emerged. Beginning in the mid-7th century, after the Arab conquest, Egypt was repeatedly part of a number of Muslim feudal states, and the local Egyptian population of the country gradually adopted the Arabic language and the Muslim religion.

Moving from Arabia and Syria, Arab tribes gradually penetrated south into the interior of Sudan, partly mixing with the local Negroid population. Most of these peoples learned Arabic and converted to Islam. In the middle reaches of the Nile, the Arab population is geographically mixed with the Nubians and is engaged in agriculture. In the desert regions of Eastern Sudan, nomadic tribes of Arab pastoralists still survive: Bakkara, Kababish, Hawavir, Hassanie, etc.

Of the other peoples of the Semitic group, the largest is the Amhara (over 10.6 million), representing the core of the emerging Ethiopian nation, and also living in mountainous areas northern Ethiopia and Eritrea Tigrayans (over 2 million) and Tigre (about 0.5 million people).

The Cushitic peoples, the Galla (culturally close to the Amhara) and Sidamo, predominate in southern Ethiopia. The Somali inhabit the plains of the Somali Peninsula and lead a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. In the desert regions of the Red Sea coast (United Arab Republic, Sudan and Ethiopia) live the tribes of Beja pastoralists, whose language - Bedauye - also belongs to the Cushitic group.

The Berber group unites peoples living in the mountainous regions of North Africa (Kabila, Rifs, Shloh, etc.) and in the Sahara (Tuaregs); many of them are bilingual and speak Arabic.

The regions south of the Sahara - Sudan (translated from Arabic "Bilad es-Sudan" means "Country of Blacks"), Tropical and South Africa are inhabited by Negroid peoples. The ethnic composition of the population of Sudan (Western, Central and Eastern) is especially complex, which differs both from North Africa, where the peoples of the same Semitic-Hamitic family live, and from Tropical and Southern Africa, where closely related Bantu peoples predominate. Sudan is inhabited by peoples who unite in a number of separate groups, differing both in material and spiritual culture, and in language. However, no matter how complex the ethnic composition and different culture of the population, there are many similarities historical and cultural features that unite the peoples of Sudan. Ancient African slave and feudal states invested in this area, within which large nationalities were formed on the basis of economic, cultural and linguistic communities. The most ancient state known to us - Ghana - was apparently created back in the 4th century. n. e. One of the Mandingo people is the Soninke. At the beginning of the 13th century. Mali separated from Ghana, the ethnic basis of which was the Malinke. The borders of Mali (which reached its peak in the 13th-14th centuries) covered the upper reaches of Senegal, the upper and middle reaches of the Niger. It was the largest state of medieval Sudan. In addition to Mali, other states were formed in Sudan at this time: Moi (XI-XVIII centuries), Kanem (X-XIV centuries), Hausa (XII-XVIII centuries), etc. By the end of the 15th century. the largest territory was occupied by the Songhai state. On the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in the 18th-19th centuries. there were the states of Ashanti, Benin, Dahomey and others, which were barbarically destroyed by the English and French colonialists. The imperialist division of Western Sudan created an extraordinary patchwork of colonial possessions. The dominance of imperialism, the dismemberment of peoples by colonial borders, the artificial preservation and imposition of feudal orders complicated and delayed the process of national consolidation of the peoples of Sudan, which began to develop rapidly only in recent years due to the strengthening of the national liberation movement and the emergence of new independent states.

The languages ​​spoken by the peoples of Sudan are grouped into the following groups: Hausa, Eastern, Central (Tur) and Western (Atlantic) Bantoid, Songhai, Mande (Maidingo), Guinean, languages ​​of the peoples of Central and Eastern Sudan, Kanuri and Nilotic. Despite the ethnic diversity of the Sudanese countries, in almost each of them two or three largest peoples or a group of closely related peoples can be identified, which make up the majority of the population and play the role of the ethnic core in the processes of national consolidation. For example, in Guinea there are Fulbe, Mandingo and Susu, in Mali - Mandingo and Fulbe, in Senegal - Wolof, Fulbe and Serer, in Ghana - Akan and Moi, in Nigeria - Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulbe, etc.

The Hausa group includes the peoples of Northern Nigeria and neighboring countries: Hausa, Bade, Bura, Kotoko, etc. The languages ​​of the Hausa peoples are close to the languages ​​of the Semitic-Hamitic family and at the same time have a number of common features with banthoid tongues. The number of peoples belonging to the Hausa group is 10.7 million people. During the period of colonial division, the single territory of the largest people of this group - the Hausa - was divided between Nigeria, where the bulk of the people now live (7.4 million people), and Niger (1.1 million people). The Hausa language is widely spoken as a second language among many neighboring peoples, and total number There are at least 12-15 million speakers of it.

The Eastern Bantoid group unites the peoples of Nigeria (Tiv, Ibibio, Birom, Kambari, etc.) and Cameroon (Bamileke, Tikar, etc.). The languages ​​of these peoples are very close to the Bantu languages ​​and, apparently, have a common root system with them. The grammatical structure of these languages ​​is also related to the Bantu languages. The total number of peoples of the eastern Bantoid group is over 6.2 million people.

The Gur group (central Bantoid), sometimes called the Mosi-Grusi group, unites the peoples of the interior regions of Western Sudan (Upper Volta, Ghana, etc.). The languages ​​of these peoples are characterized by a common core vocabulary and similar grammatical structure. The languages ​​of this group are spoken by the following peoples: Moi, Lobi, Bobo, Dogon, Senufo, Gurma, Grusi, etc. The total number of these peoples is over 7.4 million people (including the largest of them, Moi - 3.2 million . Human).

The Atlantic (Western Bantoid) group unites the Fulbe, Wolof, Serer, Balante and other peoples. The Fulbe (7.1 million people) are found in many areas of Western and Central Sudan. A small part of them still leads a nomadic lifestyle and is engaged in cattle breeding, others are semi-nomads and combine dairy farming with farming, but the majority of Fulani settled (especially in Nigeria) and began to engage in farming. In Nigeria, some Fulani live among the Hausa and have adopted their language. The total number of peoples of the Atlantic group is about 11 million people.

Song troupe and. Songhai speak a language that shows no similarities with other languages ​​and is therefore classified as a special group. The Songhai and their related Jerma and Dandi, occupying the valley along the middle reaches of the Niger River, combine agriculture with fishing. The number of Songhai is over 0.8. million people.

The Mande (Mandingo) family unites the peoples of a vast territory in the upper reaches of the Senegal and Niger rivers. The Mandingo peoples are characterized by the closeness of their languages ​​and culture, which is explained by their long-term communication within the medieval states of Sudan (Ghana, Mali, etc.). Based on a number of linguistic features, the languages ​​of the peoples of this group are divided into northern and southern. The northern ones include the Mandinto proper (Malinke, Bambara and Diula), Soninke and Wai; to the south - Susu, Mende, Kpelle, etc. The total number of Mandingo peoples is over 7.1 million people.

The Guinean group is characterized by heterogeneity in composition and includes three subgroups: Kru, Kwa and Ijo. Kru unites Bakwe, Grebo, Crane, Bete, Gere, Bassa, Sicon, etc.; They live in Liberia and the Ivory Coast. They speak very close languages, which are essentially dialects of the Kru language, and gradually merge into a single Kru people. The Kwa subgroup unites large peoples: Akan (4.5 million), Yoruba (6.3 million), Ibo (6.2 million), Ewe (2.7 million), and others, occupying the eastern part of the Guinea coast. The Akan peoples are settled in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. In the life of the population, especially in everyday life, the division of the Akan into a number of ethnic groups and tribes has retained its significance: Ashanti, Fanti, Baule-Anya, Gonja, etc. The Akan language has four literary forms: Twi, or Ashanti, Fanti, Akwapim and Akim. The Ashanti and Fanti can be seen as the ethnic core of the emerging Ghanaian nation.

The Ewe are divided between Ghana (over 0.9 million), Togo (about 0.6 million), Dahomey (1.1 million) and Nigeria (0.1 million). The Ewe, who live in Dahomey and Nigeria and are also called the Fon, differ quite significantly from the rest of the Ewe in language and in a number of elements of material and spiritual culture and are distinguished by some authors as a separate people. The Yoruba, Ibo, Bini and Nupe are settled in the plains of the lower Niger River in southern Nigeria. The Ijaw, whose language is conventionally classified as Guinean, live in the Niger Delta.

The total number of peoples of the Guinean group is 24.3 million people.

A group of peoples of Central and Eastern Sudan - Azande, Banda, Bagirmi, Moru-Mangbetu, Fora and others - inhabit Chad, the Central African Republic, partly the Congo and the southwestern outskirts of Sudan. These peoples speak little-studied languages. Their combination into one group is arbitrary. The total number is 6.7 million people.

The K aya u r group unites the Kanuri people and related inhabitants of Tibesti - the Tubu (or Tibba), as well as the Zaghawa; peoples saying speakers of these languages ​​live in the desert regions of the Central Sahara and differ sharply in language from the neighboring Sudanese peoples. The total number of peoples of the Kanuri group is 2.2 million people.

The Nilotic family includes the peoples living in the Upper Nile basin. According to linguistic and ethnographic characteristics, they are divided into three groups: the northwestern, or Nilotic, proper, which is characterized by a significant unity of languages ​​that have a common basic vocabulary and grammatical structure (the largest peoples are the Dinka, Nuer, Luo, etc.); southeastern, also called Nilo-Hamitic and characterized by a wide variety of composition (Bari, Lotuko, Tezo, Turkana, Karamojo, Masai, etc.), and the Nuba group. In the past, the Nilotic peoples were dispersed much more widely. Their settlement area extended from Ethiopia to Lake Chad, reaching in the south to Kenya and Tanganyika. During the colonial division of Africa, the single territory of the Nilotes was divided between Eastern Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. The Nuba group includes the Nubians living along the middle Nile; a significant part of them speak Arabic. The total number of Nilotic peoples is 7.9 million people.

The entire remaining territory of the African continent - Tropical and Southern Africa - is inhabited predominantly by peoples of the Bantu family, characterized by extreme similarity of languages, similarity of occupations and cultural traditions. The Bantu people number 67.6 million people, representing over 27% of Africa's population. Bantu are divided by linguists (mainly on geographical grounds) into seven main groups: northwestern (Fang, Duala, Maka, etc.); northern (Banyarwanda, Barundi, Kikuyu, etc.); Congo (Bakongo, Mongo, Bobangi, etc.); central (baluba, bemba, etc.); eastern (Swahili, Vanyam-vezi, Wagogo, etc.); southeastern (Mashona, Xhosa, Zulus, etc.); Western (Ovimbundu, Ovambo, Herero, etc.). The history of the origin of the Bantu and their settlement of Tropical and Southern Africa is still largely unclear, however, linguistic and ethnographic data give reason to consider the northern outskirts to be their homeland tropical forests Congo and Cameroon, where the peoples of the eastern Bantoid group close to them live (Tiv, Ibibio, Bamileke, etc.). The Bantu advance south began in the Neolithic; they moved around the rainforest through the savannas of East Africa. The Bantu were pushed back and partly assimilated by the Nilotic peoples and peoples who spoke Cushitic languages ​​living in the eastern part of the mainland. The aboriginal Khoisan population was also largely assimilated, from which only the Hadzapi and Sandawe tribes now survive in East Africa (in Tanganyika). The Bantu peoples, who occupied the fertile plateaus and plains of Interozerye, reached a high degree social development and created in the XIV-XVIII centuries. states of Unyoro, Buganda, Ankole, etc. tropical forests The Congo Bantu penetrated from the east and north. They pushed back and partly assimilated the hunting tribes of pygmies who lived there. In their southward advance, the Bantu reached the southern tip of the African continent (Natal) a thousand years ago. By the time Europeans arrived, the eastern part of South Africa was occupied by the southeastern Bantu - Mashona, Xhosa, Zulu, Basotho, etc.; on east coast Eastern Bantu were settled - Makua, Malawi, etc.; in the northwest - the Western Bantu - Ovambo and Herero.

The historical destinies of the Bantu of the eastern coast of Africa in the Middle Ages were significantly influenced by the penetration of the Arabs. The latter created the trading settlements of Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa, Zanzibar, etc., where a mixed group of Swahili population (“coast dwellers”) gradually formed. Its ethnic basis was made up of local Bantu tribes and descendants of slaves captured in the interior regions Tropical Africa. Swahili also included descendants of Arabs, Persians and Indians tsev. The Swahili language has spread widely throughout East Africa. At the beginning of the 20th century. Almost 2 million people spoke Swahili.

Most of the Bantu peoples at the time of the colonial division of Tropical Africa were at various stages of decomposition of the primitive communal system. Some of them already had their own state entities. European colonization destroyed these states. Currently, the Bantu still have many tribes, but there is an active process of merging them into nationalities and nations. In the struggle for national liberation from the colonial yoke, various Bantu tribes of Congo, Angola and other countries are uniting, and an intensive process of forming large nations is underway. This is also facilitated by the proximity of the languages ​​of individual tribes and Bantu peoples.

The Swahili language is becoming increasingly widespread, which the British authorities at one time recognized official language their colonies in East Africa. Currently, the majority of the population of this area speaks Swahili - two to three tens of millions of people. In East Africa, the contours of a large ethnic community - the East African nation - appear to be emerging. A serious obstacle to its development is the colonial regime.

The Bantu of Angola consist of two closely related groups of tribes: the Congo Bantu (Bakongo and Bambundu) and the Western Bantu - Ovimbundu, Wapianeka, Ovambo, etc. Despite the brutal regime of racial, political and economic oppression of the African population established in Angola by the colonial authorities, recently The national liberation movement there is gaining ever wider scope.

The Bantus of the Republic of South Africa, who live on reservations, on European farms, in cities (in suburban locations) under conditions of a heavy police regime and the so-called “color barrier,” are especially cruelly exploited. The racist policy of apartheid (separation of races) is being pursued against them. The Bantu of the Republic of South Africa have already formed into large nationalities: Kasa (over 3.3 million), Zulus (2.9 million), Basotho (1.9 million), etc. The languages ​​of these peoples are so close that they can be considered dialects of a single language. These peoples have a common culture, morals and customs. They are also united by a stubborn struggle against racial discrimination, for democratic freedoms and political rights.

In South Africa, in addition to the Bantu, there are also peoples belonging to the Khoisan language group. These include the Bushmen, Hottentots and mountain Damara. In the distant past, the peoples of the Khoisan group occupied all of South and partly East Africa. During the era of the Baytu peoples' advance to the south, they were pushed back to the southwestern regions and partly assimilated. In the 17th century, when the first Dutch colonists appeared in South Africa, Hottentots and Bushmen inhabited the entire southern tip of the African continent, but in the 18th-19th centuries. these peoples were largely exterminated by European colonists. The remnants of the Khoisan population are driven into the waterless areas of the Kalahari Desert. Their total number now does not exceed 170 thousand people.

The island of Madagascar is inhabited by the Malagasy, whose language, anthropological type and culture differ sharply from other peoples of the African continent. The Malgashi speak the language of the Indonesian group of Malayo-Polynesian Semyi. The earliest population of the island was apparently Negroid. The ancestors of the Malgash people moved from Indonesia in the 1st millennium AD. e. With the subsequent mixing of Indonesian settlers with the African population (Bantu) and partly with Arabs, several ethnographic groups were formed on the island of Madagascar, differing in some cultural features and speaking dialects of the Malagasy language. These include merina, betzileo, sakalava, betzimizaraka, etc.

Due to the development of capitalist relations and frequent population movements, the boundaries of settlement of these groups are gradually erased, and differences in culture and language are significantly reduced. The struggle for national independence against French colonial rule accelerated the process of the formation of a single Malagasy nation.

The population of European origin in Africa (the British, Boers, French, etc.), despite its relative small number (about 8.5 million people), still occupies a dominant position in economic, and in a number of countries, political life. Among Europeans there is a significant layer of workers and small farmers who are in a privileged position compared to Africans. A significant group is the bourgeoisie - owners of plantations, farms, mines, various enterprises, etc.

The major colonial powers - England and France, now forced to grant independence to many of their colonies, stubbornly sought to maintain under colonial subordination the territories where there was a migrant European population. These include primarily Kenya, Southern and Northern Rhodesia.

In South Africa, the European (“white”) population numbers over 4 million people. It consists of Afrikaners, or Boers, Anglo-Africans, as well as Portuguese, Germans, French, Italians, etc. The Europeans in language, national identity and culture are joined by a mestizo population of mixed origin (about 1.5 million people), which in Republic of South Africa stands out as a separate ethnic group - “colored”. Most "coloreds" speak Afrikaans and are descended from mixed marriages between Europeans and the indigenous inhabitants of South Africa - Hottentots and Bushmen, partly Bantu. "Coloureds", along with the Bantu and Indian peoples, are subject to severe racial discrimination.

In North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, etc.) Europeans make up 2.2 million people. They live mainly in large cities and their environs. The French predominate numerically (about 1.5 million), Spaniards (0.3 million) and Italians (0.2 million).

In the countries of Western Sudan, the population of European origin (mainly French and English) does not exceed 0.3 million; in Tropical Africa there are about 0.4 million Europeans. On Madagascar and other African islands in the Indian Ocean (Reunion, Mauritius, etc.), the population is of European origin (mainly descendants of French settlers and mestizos who speak French) has 0.6 million people.

The population of Asian origin consists mainly of people from India and Pakistan (1.3 million people) and Chinese (38 thousand people). Indians live mainly in the coastal cities of the south-east of the Republic of South Africa, as well as in Kenya and on the island of Mauritius, and on the latter they constitute up to 65% of the total population.

Most af Rican states and colonial possessions do not have correctly established demographic statistics; in 25 of them, demographic censuses were never conducted among the African population, and the population was taken into account by the administration only based on indirect data (number of taxpayers, etc.).

In the vast majority of African countries, statistics on the size of the indigenous African population by administrative region and even for the country as a whole are presented in official publications without taking into account nationality and tribal affiliation. Only for very few countries are there statistical data characterizing the ethnic composition of the population. In various reference books, statistical publications and ethnic maps published until recently by official colonial institutions, the African population is depicted as a conglomerate of unrelated tribes. For example, the South African Directory of African Peoples and Tribes, published in 1956 in Johannesburg, lists several thousand ethnic names in alphabetical order without any attempt to group them. On linguistic maps Many hundreds and even thousands of independent languages ​​stand out.

The German ethnographer and linguist Tessmann identified areas of two hundred and twenty-five languages ​​in Cameroon alone. The Belgian linguist Bulck counted several thousand different ones in the former Belgian Congo. dialects of Bantu languages. The classification of peoples according to their ethnic and linguistic kinship is not carried out on the French ethnic map “Peoples of Black Africa”, which covers a vast territory from the Atlantic coast to the Congo River basin. The comparatively poor ethnostatistical material that is available for very few countries is characterized by great fragmentation.

Due to the lack of reliable data on the numbers of many African peoples, Africanists are forced to turn to linguistic statistics. Data on the distribution of languages ​​and language groups and the number of peoples speaking them are of paramount importance. There are very few generalizing works devoted to these issues. Until recently, the most famous was the American reference book on the languages ​​and press of Africa by McDougald. However, it was published in 1944, and therefore its information is largely out of date. In addition, the reference book does not contain generalizing data on the number of peoples by linguistic groups as a whole. The number of speakers of the main African languages ​​often includes the population that uses them along with their native languages.

In the post-war years, Africa's role in world politics and economics increased; interest in the African population increased and the number of regional linguistic and ethnographic works increased sharply. Particularly valuable ethnostatistical and cartographic materials are contained in the linguistic and ethnographic series of the International African Institute, as well as in the publications of the French Institute of Black Africa. The publication of demographic yearbooks with updated demographic data on countries of the world, including African states and possessions, is carried out by the United Nations. Comparison of various linguistic and ethnostatistical information with official data on the population but made it easier for individual states and small administrative units to compile a summary of the number of African peoples for 1958 and 1959

To characterize the countries of North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, the United Arab Republic), where the Muslim Arab population predominates, the main sources were statistical yearbooks. Population censuses in these countries were carried out repeatedly, but the population was counted only by religious affiliation and nationality. These data were used to determine the number of national minorities of European origin and Maghreb Jews. The number of Berbers has been determined from linguistic and other works.

Since there are no census data for Ethiopia and Somalia, the number of peoples of these countries was determined solely from linguistic publications, which provide far from complete information for 1940-1945.

The number of peoples in 1959 was determined taking into account natural population growth.

For the Republic of Sudan, in addition to preliminary data from the 1956 census, linguistic works characterizing the languages ​​of the Nilotic peoples and some peoples of Eastern Sudan (Fora, Azande, etc.) were used.

According to the most difficult ethnically territory - Western Sudan, where there are now 21 states, when compiling tables of the ethnic composition of the population, the linguistic works of D. Westerman and M. A. Bryan, de Tressan and the ethnostatistical tables of the ethnographic atlas of French West Africa, published in 1927, were taken as a basis. , the census of the population of the Gold Coast and Togo, conducted in 1948, and the census of the population of Nigeria were also used. Amendments were made to the published data of these censuses, in particular, the list of peoples included in the category of others when the census was published was clarified. Their numbers were calculated based on a detailed list of tribes and peoples of Nigeria from the 1921 census.

In determining the size of individual peoples of Western Sudan, we used a number of works and monographs from the ethnographic series of the International African Institute.

The countries of Western Tropical Africa - Gabon, Congo (with its capital Brazzaville), Congo (with its capital Leopoldville), Rwanda and Burundi, etc., where exclusively Bantu people live, are less provided with ethno-demographic materials than other parts of the African continent. The ethnic composition of the population of these countries and the number of peoples living in them can so far be judged only from a few linguistic studies, which provide some data on languages. Among these works, the linguistic works of M. A. Bryan, M. Ghasri and others should be noted.

The ethnic composition of the population of most countries of Eastern Tropical Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika) is known from publications 1948 census resultsIn addition, a partial census was again carried out in Tanganyika in 1952. In 1957 and 1959 the census covered the entire population of Tanganyika and Uganda, but these materials have not yet been published.

In this work, statistical data from the 1948 census are recalculated for 1959, taking into account the latest ethnographic and linguistic materials. In particular, with the help of the latter it was dismembered large group other peoples of Tanganyika (about 2 million people). By analyzing this group, the researchers established the number of Swahili, the most important East African people, who were absent from the list of peoples of Tanganyika given in the official materials of the 1948 census.

The size of the population of European and Asian (Indian) origin is given for 1959 according to the latest reference materials. The ethnic composition of the population of Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia is illuminated in the ethnographic works of M. Tew, W. Whiteley , W. M. Haley , as well as in articles by L. D. Yablochkov, which were taken as the basis for compiling tables of the number of peoples.

For the countries of Southern Africa (Southern Rhodesia, Mozambique, the Republic of South Africa, etc.), characterized by a very complex ethnic composition of the population, the main sources of tables were the publication of the 1946 population census, the atlas of settlement of the southern Bantu tribes compiled by Van Warmelo, and the monograph by I . I. Potekhin on the formation of the national community of the South African Bantu, where modern ethnic processes in the Republic of South Africa. In compiling the tables for South Africa, in addition to the works mentioned above, the results of the 1946 census for South West Africa, published in 1947, as well as a large literature on the Bushmen and Hottentots were used. The number and settlement of the Bushmen are given according to the work of van Tobias, published in 1955.

The population of Madagascar and neighboring islands in the Indian Ocean is covered in UN publications and other reference publications, as well as in the work of A. S. Orlova.

The article contains information about the population of the continent. Forms an idea of ​​the zonal population of the continent. It contains interesting facts from the life and way of life of some of the most ancient African peoples living on the planet today.

Peoples of Africa

Africa is unique and amazing, and so are the people who inhabit the continent. The peoples of Africa are diverse in all parts of it.

The main percentage of people living here is quite small. Typically, they are represented by groups of hundreds or thousands of people. As a rule, they inhabit several nearby villages.

The modern peoples of Africa are related not only to various anthropological types, but also to various racial groups.

North of the Sahara and in the desert itself you can meet individuals of the Indo-Mediterranean race, which belongs to the large Caucasian race.

In the lands of the southern region, it was the Negro-Australoid race that became widespread. Small races are distinguished from it:

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• Negro;
• Negrillian;
• Bushman

Peoples of North Africa

Now in northern Africa there are many uninhabited areas. This is influenced by the characteristics of the current climate. Once upon a time, the Sahara transformed from savannah to desert. Residents of these places moved closer to water sources. At moments of such forced migrations, such areas formed centers of the emergence of great civilizations and cultures.

During the Middle Ages, inhabitants of European powers often visited the African part of the Mediterranean coast. By the beginning of the twentieth century, foreigners had become full-fledged masters in these territories. This significantly influenced the population of northern Africa and local culture. The process lasted about fifty years.

Due to the regular presence of the inhabitants of the Arab and European powers, carriers of the traits of the Indo-Mediterranean race now live in North Africa:

• Arabs;
• Berbers.

Rice. 1. Berbers.

They have dark skin color, dark hair and eyes. A distinctive feature of representatives of this race is the presence of a nose with a characteristic hump.

Among the Berbers there are people with light colored eyes and hair.

Most of the local residents profess Islam. Only the Copts are an exception. They are direct descendants of the ancient Egyptians and profess Christianity.

As a rule, the peoples living in the northern region of Africa are engaged in agriculture. In these territories, industries such as horticulture and viticulture are actively developing.

Date palms are grown in oases. Cattle breeding is typical for Bedouins and Berbers who live in mountainous or semi-desert areas.

Since ancient times, the southern part of the black continent has been inhabited by peoples who lead a predominantly nomadic lifestyle.

Rice. 2. Nomads of Africa.

As a rule, they do not have a government with characteristic powers. Among the people of this area, the hallmarks are a predisposition to hunt, gather and understand the interaction of all living things in nature.

The African pygmies and the natives of the Andaman Islands are people who have no idea about the existence of fire.

Rice. 3. African pygmies.

The mainland is home to about 590 million people. Report estimate

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The many-sided Africa, on the vast territory of which in 61 countries, in the secluded corners of this continent more than 5 million people of almost completely wild African tribes still live.

Members of these tribes do not recognize the achievements of the civilized world and are content with the benefits that they received from their ancestors.

Poor huts, modest food and a minimum of clothing suit them, and they are not going to change this way of life.

African tribes

There are about 3 thousand different tribes and nationalities in Africa, but it is difficult to name their exact number, since most often they are either densely mixed together, or, on the contrary, radically separated. The population of some tribes is only a few thousand or even hundreds of people, and often inhabit only 1-2 villages. Because of this, on the territory of the African continent there are adverbs and dialects that sometimes only representatives of a particular tribe can understand. And the variety of rituals, cultural systems, dances, customs and sacrifices is enormous and amazing. Besides appearance the people of some tribes are simply amazed by their looks.

However, since they all live on the same continent, all African tribes still have something in common. Some cultural elements are characteristic of all nationalities living in this territory. One of the main defining features of African tribes is their focus on the past, that is, the cult of the culture and life of their ancestors.

The majority of African peoples deny everything new and modern and withdraw into themselves. Most of all, they are attached to constancy and immutability, including in everything that concerns everyday life, traditions and customs that originate from our great-grandfathers.

It’s hard to imagine, but among them there are practically no people who are not engaged in subsistence farming or cattle breeding. Hunting, fishing or gathering are completely normal activities for them. Just like many centuries ago, African tribes fight among themselves, marriages most often take place within one tribe, intertribal marriages are very rare among them. Of course, more than one generation leads such a life; every new child from birth will have to live the same fate.

Tribes differ from each other by their own unique system of life, customs and rituals, beliefs and prohibitions. Most tribes invent their own fashion, often stunningly colorful, the originality of which is often simply amazing.

Among the most famous and numerous tribes today are the Maasai, Bantu, Zulus, Samburu and Bushmen.

Maasai

One of the most famous African tribes. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. The number of representatives reaches 100 thousand people. They are most often found on the side of a mountain, which features prominently in Maasai mythology. Perhaps the size of this mountain influenced the worldview of the tribe members - they consider themselves the favorites of the gods, the highest people, and are sincerely confident that there are no more beautiful people in Africa than them.

This opinion of oneself gave rise to a contemptuous, often even derogatory attitude towards other tribes, which became the cause of frequent wars between tribes. In addition, it is the Maasai custom to steal animals from other tribes, which also does not improve their reputation.

The Maasai dwelling is built from branches coated with dung. This is done mainly by women, who also, if necessary, take on the duties of pack animals. The main share of nutrition is milk or animal blood, less often meat. A distinctive sign of beauty among this tribe is their elongated earlobes. Currently, the tribe has been almost completely exterminated or dispersed; only in remote corners of the country, in Tanzania, are some Maasai nomads still preserved.

Bantu

The Bantu tribe lives in Central, Southern and Eastern Africa. In truth, the Bantu are not even a tribe, but an entire nation, which includes many peoples, for example, Rwanda, Shono, Konga and others. They all have similar languages ​​and customs, which is why they were united into one large tribe. Most Bantu people speak two or more languages, the most commonly spoken of which is Swahili. The number of members of the Bantu people reaches 200 million. According to research scientists, it was the Bantu, along with the Bushmen and Hottentots, who became the progenitors of the South African colored race.

Bantus have a peculiar appearance. They have very dark skin and an amazing hair structure - each hair is curled in a spiral. Wide and winged noses, a low bridge of the nose and high stature - often over 180 cm - are also distinctive features of people from the Bantu tribe. Unlike the Maasai, the Bantu do not shy away from civilization and willingly invite tourists on educational walks around their villages.

Like any African tribe, a large part of Bantu life is occupied by religion, namely, traditional African animist beliefs, as well as Islam and Christianity. The Bantu home resembles a Maasai house - the same round shape, with a frame made of branches coated with clay. True, in some areas Bantu houses are rectangular, painted, with gable, lean-to or flat roofs. Members of the tribe are mainly engaged in agriculture. A distinctive feature of the Bantu is the enlarged lower lip, into which small discs are inserted.

Zulu

The Zulu people, once the largest ethnic group, now number only 10 million. The Zulus enjoy own language- Zulu, descended from the Bantu family and is the most common in South Africa. In addition, English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other African languages ​​are in circulation among members of the people.

The Zulu tribe suffered a difficult period during the apartheid era in South Africa, when, being the largest people, they were defined as a second-class population.

As for the beliefs of the tribe, most of the Zulus remained faithful to national beliefs, but there are also Christians among them. Zulu religion is based on the belief in a creator god who is supreme and separate from everyday routine. Representatives of the tribe believe that they can contact the spirits through fortune tellers. All negative manifestations in the world, including illness or death, are considered as the machinations of evil spirits or the result of evil witchcraft. In the Zulu religion, the main place is occupied by cleanliness, frequent bathing is a custom among representatives of the people.

Samburu

The Samburu tribe lives in northern regions Kenya, on the border of the foothills and the northern desert. About five hundred years ago, the Samburu people settled in this territory and quickly populated the plain. This tribe is independent and confident in its elitism much more than the Maasai. The life of the tribe depends on livestock, but, unlike the Maasai, the Samburu themselves raise livestock and roam with them from place to place. Customs and ceremonies occupy a significant place in the life of the tribe and are distinguished by the splendor of colors and forms.

Samburu huts are made of clay and skins; the outside of the home is surrounded by a thorny fence to protect it from wild animals. Representatives of the tribe take their houses with them, reassembling them at each site.

Among the Samburu, it is customary to divide labor between men and women, this also applies to children. Women's responsibilities include gathering, milking cows and fetching water, as well as collecting firewood, cooking and looking after children. Of course, the female half of the tribe is in charge of general order and stability. Samburu men are responsible for herding livestock, which is their main means of subsistence.

The most important detail in the life of the people is childbirth; sterile women are subjected to severe persecution and bullying. It is normal for the tribe to worship the spirits of ancestors, as well as witchcraft. The Samburu believe in charms, spells and rituals, using them to increase fertility and protection.

Bushmen

The most famous African tribe among Europeans since ancient times is the Bushmen. The name of the tribe consists of the English “bush” - “bush” and “man” - “man”, but calling members of the tribe this way is dangerous - it is considered offensive. It would be more correct to call them “san,” which means “stranger” in the Hottentot language. Externally, the Bushmen are somewhat different from other African tribes; they have lighter skin and thinner lips. In addition, they are the only ones who eat ant larvae. Their dishes are considered a feature of the national cuisine of this people. The way of society of the Bushmen also differs from that generally accepted among wild tribes. Instead of chiefs and sorcerers, the ranks choose elders from among the most experienced and respected members of the tribe. The elders lead the lives of the people without taking any advantage at the expense of others. It should be noted that the Bushmen also believe in afterlife, like other African tribes, however, they do not have the cult of ancestors adopted by other tribes.

Among other things, the Sans have a rare talent for stories, songs and dances. They can make almost any musical instrument. For example, there are bows strung with animal hair or bracelets made from dried insect cocoons with pebbles inside, which are used to beat the rhythm during dance. Almost everyone who has the opportunity to observe the musical experiments of the Bushmen tries to record them in order to pass them on to future generations. This is all the more relevant since the current century dictates its own rules and many Bushmen have to deviate from centuries-old traditions and work as workers on farms in order to provide for their family and tribe.

This is not very large number tribes living in Africa. There are so many of them that it would take several volumes to describe them all, but each of them boasts a unique value system and way of life, not to mention rituals, customs and costumes.

In Africa, according to various sources, there are from five hundred to 8000 peoples, including small nations and ethnic groups that cannot be clearly classified as one of them. Some of these nations number only a few hundred people; there are really not so many large ones: 107 peoples number more than a million, and only 24 - more than five million. The largest nations in Africa: Egyptian Arabs(76 million), Hausa(35 million), Moroccan Arabs(35 million), Algerian Arabs(32 million), Yoruba(30 million), Igbo(26 million), Fulani(25 million), Oromo(25 million), Amhara(20 million), malagasy(20 million), Sudanese Arabs(18 million). In total, 1.2 billion people live in Africa, on an area of ​​just over 30 million square kilometers, that is, approximately one sixth of the population of our planet. In this article we will briefly talk about what the main peoples of Africa are divided into.

North Africa

As you may have already noticed, among the largest nations there are many whose names include the word Arabs. Of course, genetically these are all different peoples, united primarily by faith, and also by the fact that more than a thousand years ago these lands were conquered from the Arabian Peninsula, included in the Caliphate, and mixed with the local population. The Arabs themselves, however, were relatively few in number.

The caliphate conquered the entire North African coast, as well as part of the western coast up to Mauritania. These places were known as the Maghreb, and although the Maghreb countries are now independent, their inhabitants still speak Arabic and practice Islam, and are collectively called Arabs. They belong to the Caucasian race, its Mediterranean branch, and the places inhabited by Arabs are quite different high level development.

Egyptian Arabs form the basis of the population of Egypt and the most numerous of the African peoples. Ethnically, the Arab conquest had little impact on the population of Egypt, in rural areas and practically nothing at all, and thus for the most part they are descendants of the ancient Egyptians. However, the cultural appearance of this people has changed beyond recognition, in addition, most of the Egyptians converted to Islam (although a considerable number of them remained Christians, now they are called Copts). If we count together with the Copts, then the total number of Egyptians can be brought to 90-95 million people.

The second largest Arab nation is Moroccan Arabs, which are the result of the conquest by the Arabs of various local tribes that did not constitute a single people at that time - Libyans, Getulians, Maurusians and others. Algerian Arabs formed from motley Berber peoples and Kabyles. But in the blood of Tunisian Arabs (10 million) there is some Negroid element, which distinguishes them from their neighbors. Sudanese Arabs make up the majority of the population of northern Sudan. Also, among the largest Arab peoples in Africa there are Libyans(4.2 million) and Mauritanians(3 million).

A little further south, in the hot Sahara, the Bedouins roam – this is the name given to all nomads, regardless of their nationality. In total there are about 5 million of them in Africa, they include various small nations.

West and Central Africa

South of the Sahara, dark-skinned but white-skinned Africans belonging to the Mediterranean subrace of the Caucasian race are replaced by people of the Negroid race, divided into three main subraces: Negro, Negrillian And Bushman.

Negro is the most numerous. In addition to West Africa, peoples of this subrace also live in Sudan, Central and South Africa. Its East African type is distinguished primarily by its tall stature - often the average height here is 180 cm, and is also characterized by the darkest skin, almost black.

In Western and Equatorial Africa, the peoples of this subrace dominate. Let's highlight the largest of them. First of all this Yoruba, living in Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Ghana. These are representatives of an ancient civilization that left a legacy of many distinctive ancient cities and a developed mythology. Hausa They live in the north of Nigeria, as well as in Cameroon, Niger, Chad, and the Central African Republic. They also had a developed culture of city-states in ancient times, and now they profess Islam and are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.

Igbo live in the southeast of Nigeria, having a small settlement area, but high density. Unlike previous peoples, the Igbo do not have an ancient history, since they were formed from many different peoples relatively recently, already during the era of colonization of Africa by Europeans. Finally, people Fulani settled over a vast territory from Mauritania to Guinea and even in Sudan. According to anthropologists, they originated from Central Asia, and already in modern times this people were noted for their belligerence, participating with great enthusiasm in Islamic jihads in Africa in the 19th century.

Southern and Equatorial Africa.

In contrast to representatives of the Negro subrace, people from the Negro subrace are short, their average height barely exceeds 140 cm, which is why they are called - pygmies. Pygmies live in the forests of Equatorial Africa. But there are very few of them; other peoples dominate in this territory, primarily from the Bantu group: these are duala, fang, diamonds, mboshi, Congo and others for equatorial Africa and Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi, Ndebele for South. The basis of the population of Zimbabwe is the people Shona(13 million), also belonging to the Bantu group. In total, the Bantu number 200 million, settled over half the territory of the continent.

Also in Equatorial Africa live representatives of the third subrace, Bushman or Capoid. They are characterized by short stature, a narrow nose and a flat bridge of the nose, as well as skin that is much lighter than that of their neighbors, having a yellowish-brown tint. Here the Bushmen themselves are distinguished, as well as the Hottentots, who live mainly in Namibia and Angola. However, representatives of the capoid subrace are few in number.

In the very south, the Bantu have minimal competition from groups of Afrikaners, that is, descendants of European colonists, primarily the Boers. In total, there are 3.6 million Afrikaners. South Africa can generally be called a melting pot - if we count Madagascar, where the Malgashes from the Mongoloid race settled, then people from almost all parts of the world live here, because in addition to the Mongoloid Malgashes, people also settled in southern Africa Hindustani, Biharis, Gujaratis speaking Indo-Aryan languages, as well as Tamils ​​and Telugus speaking Dravidian languages. They came to Africa from Asia, while the Malagasy sailed from distant Indonesia.

East Africa

First of all, it is worth highlighting the Ethiopian subrace. As the name implies, this includes the population of Ethiopia, which genetically cannot be attributed either to the dark, but white-skinned northerners, or to representatives of the Negroid race living in the south. This subrace is considered the result of a mixture of Caucasoid and Negroid, combining the features of both. It should be noted that “Ethiopians” is a collective concept; the following peoples live in this country: Oromo, Amhara, Tigrayans, gurage, shidama and others. All these peoples speak Ethiosemitic languages.

The two largest peoples of Ethiopia are the Oromo, also living in northern Kenya, and the Amhara. Historically, the former were nomadic and lived on the east coast, while the latter were agriculturalists. The Oromo are predominantly Muslim, while the Amhara are predominantly Christian. The Ethiopian race also includes the Nubians living in the south of Egypt, numbering up to two million.

Also, a significant part of the population of Ethiopia is the Somali people, who gave their name to the neighboring state. They belong to the Cushitic language family along with the Oromo and Agaw. There are about 16 million Somalis in total.

Peoples are also common in eastern Africa Bantu. Here these are the Kikuyo, Akamba, Meru, Luhya, Juggga, Bemba, living in Kenya and Tanzania. At one time, these peoples were displaced from here by Cushitic-speaking peoples, of whom something still remains: Irako, Gorowa, Burungi, Sandawa, Hadza– but these peoples are far from being so numerous.

Among the greats African lakes Rwanda, Rundi, Ganda, Sogo, Hutus, Tutsis, and also Pygmies live. Rwanda is the largest people in this region, numbering 13.5 million. The lake region is inhabited by Swahili, Comorians, Mijikenda.

Africa is unique and multifaceted, and so are the people living on the mainland. The peoples inhabiting Africa are diverse in its various parts, there are several thousand large and small ethnic groups, and 107 of them have a million or more representatives, and 24 of them number five million people.

Most peoples are small in number; they are usually represented by several hundred or thousands of people and inhabit one or two nearby villages.

Modern peoples living in Africa belong not only to different anthropological types, but also to different races. Thus, north of the Sahara and in the desert itself, you can meet people of the Indo-Mediterranean race, which belongs to the large Caucasian race. But in the lands to the south it is the Negro-Australoid race that is widespread, in which the Negro, Negrill and

The races among which the largest number of inhabitants belong to the first.

Largest nations on the mainland:

• Egyptian;
• Yoruba;
• Moroccan;
• Sudanese Arabs;
• Hausa;
• Algerian;
• Fulani;
• Amhara;
• Igbo.

Peoples of South Africa

For a long time, South Africa was inhabited by nomadic peoples who did not have a clear government and were excellent hunters, gatherers and specialists in natural life.

Then from the north, most of all from Central Africa, new peoples began to arrive in the southern lands. These were mainly Bantu, who brought agriculture and mining with them. These immigrants led settled life, it was on the basis of such peoples inhabiting Africa in the south that the first states began to appear in the region.

Next influence on southern population influenced by Europeans who first arrived there in 1652, although they had passed through them before. Foreigners subsequently dominated and controlled the entire South Africa, which influenced the social and cultural situation.

Peoples of South Africa:

• braid;
• Swazi;
• soto;
• tsonga;
• Zulu;
• Herero;
• Ndebele;
• Venda;
• Tswana;
• Matabele;
• Shona;
• pedi;
• ovambo;
• Bushmen;
• Hottentots;
• Hindustani;
• Gujaratis;
• Biharis;
• Tamils;
• Telugu

Today, the Bantu peoples are still engaged in agriculture, growing legumes, corn, millet and vegetables. They also raise small and large livestock.

For the Hottentots, cattle breeding is a priority, but one of their groups, the Topnar-Nama, used to be engaged in hunting at sea all the time.

The Bushmen remained nomads; they still hunt and gather food. For them, their home is wind barriers made of branches, grass and skins. They wear loincloths and, if necessary, cover themselves with cloaks.

Cattle breeders and sedentary farmers live in hemispherical huts - kraals, and dress in loincloths with aprons; the leather cloaks they use are called kaross.

Peoples living in North Africa

Now in North Africa there are many practically uninhabited territories, which is due to the peculiarities of the modern climate. When the Sahara turned from savannah into desert thousands of years ago, its inhabitants were forced to move closer to the water, for example, to the Nile Valley and to the coasts. Then such populated areas became the beginnings of great civilizations and cultures.

During the Middle Ages, Europeans increasingly visited the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea. And by the beginning of the twentieth century, foreigners began to rule in these territories, thereby influencing their culture, which lasted for about half a century.

Due to the constant presence of inhabitants of Arab and European countries, representatives of the Indo-Mediterranean race live in North Africa:

• Arabs;
• Berbers.

They have dark skin, hair and eyes of dark shades, and the nose on their narrow face has a hump. Among the Berbers, people with light eyes and hair are not excluded.

The majority of the local population professes Islam, with the exception of the Copts, who are the direct descendants of the ancient Egyptians; they are Monophysite Christians.

Most often, the peoples inhabiting Africa in the north are engaged in agriculture; gardening and viticulture are also developed; date palms are cultivated in oases. Cattle breeding is practiced by Bedouins and Berbers who live in mountains or semi-desert areas.

Peoples of central Africa

In Central Africa, the predominant population belongs to the Negroid race:

• athara;
• Yoruba;
• Bantu;
• Oromo;
• Hausa.

Representatives of this race are distinguished by dark shades of skin, hair, eyes, their lips are thick, their nose is also pronounced - the bridge of the nose is low, and the wings are wide.

The structure of such ethnic groups is complex, and researchers often know very little about them. Those that live in virgin impenetrable forests have hardly been studied.

In the conditions of dense and impenetrable tropical forests, one can observe a special anthropological type - pygmies, who are distinguished by their short stature (around 141 centimeters). Their skin is lighter and their lips are thinner than other representatives of the Negroid race. In addition, they have a peculiar body structure - short lower limbs and a large head.

Can be observed in these areas different religions, among whom there are a large number of adherents of Islam and Christianity, the beliefs of their ancient ancestors have not been forgotten.