Name: Grade: Date: The Faces of Africa’s Diverse Ethnic Groups Ethnicity is a term used to classify human communities that have a feeling of belonging and proclaim themselves as part of a group with common traditions, beliefs, languages, territory or history.¹ The most recent study carried out on ethnic diversity by Harvard University revealed that of the 190 countries registered, the first 20 positions all belong to African countries.² That is to say, Africa is one of the most ethnically diverse continents in the world. Approximately 3000 ethnicities currently coexist of which 900 speak the same language but have different traditions or beliefs.³ The remaining 2,100 share similar customs but speak more than one language. Moreover, the majority of these ethnic communities are not bound by national boundaries. Most of them live simultaneously in one or more African countries. The continent’s four major ethnic groups are the Hausa (approx. 50 million), Yoruba (approx. 40 million), Oromo (approx. 30 million), and Berber (approx. 30 million). 1 Bruce Berman, Eyoh Dickson, and Will Kymlicka, Ethnicity and Democracy in Africa (Oxford: Ohio University Press, 2004) 2 Washington Post, “A Revealing Map of the World’s Most and Least Ethnically Diverse Countries,” May 16, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world- views/wp/2013/05/16/a-revealing-map-of-the-worlds-most-and-least-ethnically-diver se-countries/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.404c4cbd8023. 3 German Federal District for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Africa – Europe’s Partner Continent,” 2017, https://www.bmz.de/en/countries_regions/mars- ha- ll_plan_with_africa/contents/chapter_01/index.html. Hausa: This ethnic group lives in West Africa. Their language is also called Hausa and it is written through the use of the Arabic alphabet. The religion this group follows is Islam. It is widely known for its crafted and colorful outfits which follow Islam’s dressing code. Men use large-sleeve gowns and a circular hat called “Fula”. Women, on the other hand, use dresses that go from neck to toes with a long coat, or “Abaya”, and a cloth that covers their hair. They also decorate their hands and arms with body paint and cover themselves with big jewelry.⁴ Yoruba: Most of Nigeria’s population self-identifies as Yoruba but this ethnic group is also seen in Benin and Togo. Before their territories were colonized by the English, the Yorubas organized themselves in reigns, governed each by a different king. This group is well-known on the international art scene for its handcraft skills with materials such as metal, wool, glass, wood and leather. Most Yorubas are now Christian or Muslim. Their traditional religion, nonetheless, was transmitted orally to the slaves5 which were transported to the Americas and has made an lasting impact in Caribbean and south American religions such as Santeria and Candomblé. 5 Toyin Falola and Akínyẹmí Akíntúndé, Encyclopedia of the Yoruba (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2016); Mikelle Smith Omara-Tunkara, Manipulating the 4 Anne Haour and Rossi Benedetta, Being and Becoming Hausa: Interdisciplinary Sacred: Yoruba Art, Ritual, and Resistance in Brazilian Candomble (Daytona: Wayne Perspectives (Leiden; Boston: Brill Publishers, 2010). State University Press, 2005). Oromo: This community is the biggest in West Africa and is also Ethiopia’s first ethnic group. They are regularly known as “Galla” but members of this ethnic group avoid the use of this title since it was not created by them but by external individuals and carries for them a negative connotation. “Galla”, for them, translates ignorant, uncivilized and inferior. This group classifies and divides its members according to their age, meaning that everybody should fulfill certain tasks according to the age group they belong to. The Oromo live in rural areas since this region is well known for its fertile terrains. They work as shepherds and harvest wheat, corn, sorghum, oranges and coffee.6 Berber: Self-proclaimed as “Amazigh” (free men), Berbers are the biggest ethnic group of North Africa, populating the territories of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Nigeria and Mauritania. Due to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in the middle of the 8th century, many members of the community have combined Arabic with other African dialects with the the Berber alphabet. This group is mainly identified as nomad, travelling through the desserts and lands of North Africa. However, in recent decades many of them have established permanent settlements in the main cities of the aforementioned countries or have migrated to France.7 6 Erena Beekan G., “Oromo People,” n.d., https://scholar.harvard.edu/erena/oromo. 7 Bruce Maddy-Weitzmann, “Berbers and the Nation-State in North Africa,” African History, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.105. .