Peoples of North Africa. Bantu tribe among the peoples of central Africa

PEOPLES OF AFRICA

Africa is a continent, almost all of whose countries until recently were completely under colonial dependence. European countries. 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, increasing their economic influence on 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. For most countries in Africa, especially in recent years, characterized by relatively rapid population growth. 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 have gone to great lengths to argue that African peoples are not yet “ready” for independent life that in Africa there is “ethnic chaos” and extraordinary ethnic fragmentation and that the backwardness of the African population is associated 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 erased, common ones are formed literary languages, 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 Northern and North-Eastern Africa (Maghreb, Sahara, United Arab Republic, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eastern Sudan) people speaking in languages Semitic-Hamitic family. 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), which represents the core of the emerging Ethiopian nation, as well as the Tigrayans (over 2 million) and Tigre (about 0.5 million) living in the mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia and Eritrea . Human).

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 (Kabiles, Rifs, Shlohs, 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. IN early XIII V. 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 domination 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 by 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 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 primarily by peoples of the Bantu family, characterized by the 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 their homeland to be the northern outskirts of the tropical forests of Congo and Cameroon, where the peoples of the eastern Bantu 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, achieved a high degree of social development and created in the XIV-XVIII centuries. the states of Unyoro, Buganda, Ankole, etc. The Bantu penetrated into the tropical forests of the Congo 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.; the eastern Bantu were settled on the east coast - 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, which the British authorities at one time recognized as the official language of their colonies in East Africa, is becoming increasingly widespread. 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 the Republic of South Africa is classified 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. Linguistic maps highlight many hundreds and even thousands of independent languages.

The German ethnographer and linguist Tessman 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; increased interest in African population and the number of regional linguistic and ethnographic works has increased dramatically. 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 determination of the number of peoples of these countries was made exclusively 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.

For the most ethnically complex 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. In addition, the census of the Gold Coast and Togo, conducted in 1948, and the census 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, a large group of other peoples of Tanganyika (about 2 million people) was dismembered. 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 number of European and Asian (Indian) people by 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 are studied. 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, were used, as well as great literature according to the Bushmen and Hottentots. 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.

Africa is divided into several historical and ethnographic provinces that differ significantly from each other.

North African province inhabited by peoples belonging primarily to the Indo-Mediterranean race. In the zones of contact with the Caucasians of North Africa and Arabia (Mediterranean or Southern Caucasian minor race), two transitional anthropological types were formed - the Fulban and Ethiopian minor races. The North African historical and ethnographic province includes Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, almost all of Mauritania and Sudan. Here live mainly Arabic and Berber peoples who speak Afroasiatic languages ​​of the Hamitic-Semitic language family. The vast majority of the population professes Sunni Islam, with the exception of the Copts, descendants of the ancient Egyptians, who are Monophysite Christians. The main occupation is arable farming (in the oases and the Nilapolivnoe valley), gardening and viticulture, cultivation of date palms in the voases. The Bedouin Arabs and Berbers in the mountainous and semi-desert regions have nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding (camels, large and small cattle, horses, donkeys). Clothing - a long wide shirt (galabaya) with a round collar, tapering pants, sleeveless vests, jackets, caftans, open raincoats without sleeves. The traditions of nomads are preserved in the custom of sitting, eating and even sleeping on the floor. The main food is porridge, flatbread, sour milk, couscous (small wheat pasta), skewered and minced meat, fish, pies, legume sauces, hot sauces, olive oil, dried fruits and dishes based on them, tea, coffee . The traditional dwelling of nomads is a tent, a tent, the dwelling of farmers is adobe or adobe buildings with a flat roof, often with terraces and a courtyard with windows. In the Maghreb countries, the Moorish style of urban architecture is widespread, which is characterized by the use of a large number of arches, a bizarre interweaving of arched structures supported by slender, graceful columns made of marble, granite and other materials. The original composition is enhanced by stucco decoration and patterned panels. Over time, Moorish architecture lost its lightness, and the buildings acquired a more massive appearance.

Arabs (endoethnonym - al-Arab) - a group of peoples of Semitic origin, speaking a variety of dialects of the Arabic language and inhabiting the states of Western Asia and North Africa. The writing is based on the Arabic round script. The ancient Semitic tribes, from which the ancient Arab people subsequently emerged, already in the 2nd millennium BC. occupied the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. The first Arab state formations arose in the north and center of Arabia (the Kingdom of Kindit). By the V-VI centuries. Arab tribes made up the majority of the population of the Arabian Peninsula. In the first half of the 7th century. with the emergence of Islam, the Arab conquests began, as a result of which the Caliphate was created, which occupied vast territories from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean and from Central Asia to the central Sahara. The Arabs were famous as excellent doctors and mathematicians. In North Africa, the population who spoke Semitic-Hamitic languages ​​close to Arabic relatively quickly became Arabized, adopting the language, religion (Islam) and many elements of the culture of the conquerors. At the same time, a reverse process of assimilation by the Arabs of some elements of the culture of the conquered peoples took place. The unique Arab culture that emerged as a result of these processes had a great influence on world culture. Arab Caliphate by the 10th century. As a result of the resistance of the conquered peoples and the growth of feudal separatism, it fell into separate parts. In the 16th century The Arab countries of Western Asia (except for a significant part of the Arabian Peninsula) and North Africa (with the exception of Morocco) became part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century Arab lands were subjected to colonial conquests and became colonies and protectorates of Great Britain, France, Italy, and Spain. To date, they are all independent states.

Berbers (endoethnonym Amazigh, amahag - “man”) - the general name of those who adopted in the 7th century. Islam (Sunni direction) of the indigenous inhabitants of northern Africa from Egypt in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west and from Sudan in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. They speak Berber-Libyan languages. Mostly Sunni Muslims. The name Berbers, given by Europeans by analogy with barbarians due to the incomprehensibility of their language, is unknown to most of the Berber peoples themselves.

North East African Province includes most of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, northeast and eastern Kenya. The peoples of this area speak mainly Ethio-Semitic (Amhara, Tigre, Tigrai, Gurag, Harari, etc.), Cushitic (Oromo, Somali, Sidamo, Agaw, Afar, Konso, etc.) and Yomote (Ometo, Gimirra, etc.) languages. Afroasiatic language macrofamily. In Ethiopia, plow-terrace farming is common, combined with grazing. The land is cultivated with a special primitive plow (maresha) drawn by oxen. Here, for the first time, they began to cultivate cereal crops that are not found outside of Ethiopia: fine-grained teff, durra (a type of millet similar to corn), dagussa, as well as legumes - nutichina. The Ethiopian Highlands are home to some types of ikofe wheat. The settlements are of scattered and street types, the traditional dwelling is a round log hut with walls coated with clay or dung and a cone-shaped roof (tukul), a stone rectangular building with a flat roof (khidmo). Clothing - tunic-like embroidered shirt with a wide belt, cloak (shamma), pants (suri). Ethiopia was for a long time the only Christian state in Tropical Africa. From the 1st millennium BC e.Ethiopian script is used here.

Oromos, Somalis, Tigre, Afars, etc. are Sunni Muslims engaged in nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding (camels, horses, small cattle). The Oromo widely use number symbolism. Already in ancient times, they classified the world around them and assigned each type of phenomena its own number, which became a symbol of this type of phenomena and connected it through a system of numbers-symbols with other phenomena into a single picture of the world. The starting point of their numerology was the structure of the human body. Oromo society is divided into age classes (gada). The generation interval is 40 years and includes five age classes. All age classes perform a number of specific functions (economic, military, ritual).

Judaism is widespread among some peoples. Ethiopian (“black”) Jews - Falasha - are traditionally engaged in agriculture and crafts, but not in trade. The Falasha eat biscuits made from tiefa and dagussa, they eat durra, onions and garlic; never use raw meat, which is in great use among their neighbors. Polygamy is not common; marry at an adult age. Education is carried out by priests and dabtara; it consists of reading and memorizing psalms, and interpreting the Bible. The position of women is honorable: there are no veils, no harems, spouses go to work together. Cemeteries are outside villages, gravestones are without inscriptions; A funeral feast is held in honor of the dead.

West African Province the largest and includes Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cape Verde, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon and most territories of Nigeria and Chad. Almost all the peoples of the Atlantic coast speak Atlantic languages, a minority speak Creole languages ​​based on English and Portuguese. The territory of Sudan, Niger and parts of neighboring countries is included in the zone of Niger-Congo languages, in addition, the largest people speaking the language of the Atlantic family (Fulani), and speakers of Naadamawa-Ubangi and Chadian languages ​​live here. In the southern part of the province, Niger-Congo, Ijoid and Benu-Congo languages ​​are spoken. West Africa is the center of the birth of civilizations: sufficient rainfall here is good for farming (mostly manual, in the south - fallow and slash-and-burn). In Sudan they cultivate grains (millet belt), in the tropical forest zone of the Guinea coast - roots and tubers (yam belt) and oil palm, in the northern part of the coast - both grains and root crops. Large and small cattle are raised in Sudan. Vegetable food - porridge, stews, palm wine, millet beer. Fish dishes are common on the Atlantic coast. Many Fulani retain nomadic semi-nomadic cattle breeding. Of greatest importance were the gold deposits and the lack of salt, which encouraged the Sudanese peoples to trade with the salt-rich Sahara. The cities of West Africa arose as trade and craft centers, residences of rulers, sacred centers, and often combined these functions. Rural settlements are of a scattered type, in the savannah - farmsteads, in the south - street ones. The dwelling is single-chamber, round, square or rectangular in plan. The building materials used are clay, stone, shrubs, grass, in the savannah - wood, branches, straw, in forests - palm wood, bamboo, banana and ficus leaves; Skins, skins, fabrics, mats, manure, and silt are used everywhere in the construction of dwellings. Banko (“raw clay”) is a Sudanese style of architecture made of mud bricks often lined with slate, or stones with clay mortar; characterized by the dissection of facades by pilasters, blank massive conical or pyramidal towers and minarets, pierced by floor beams protruding outward. In Sudan, a single type of men's costume has developed, dating back to the clothing of Islamic marabout teachers: bubu (a long wide shirt, usually blue, often with embroidery at the collar and on the pocket), wide harem pants with cuffs at the bottom, a cap, sandals. The south of the province is characterized by unstitched clothing, both shoulder and waist type skirts. In general, secret alliances and castes are widespread among the population of the province. The Akan (5 million population of part of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire) have matrilineal kinship accounts and specific naming, when one of the names corresponds to the day of the week on which the person was born. A number of peoples have syllabic writing.

Equatorial (Western Tropical) Province - this territory of Cameroon, southern Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Angola, Zambia. It is populated mainly by Bantu-speaking peoples and peoples close to them in language. Pygmies also speak Bantu languages. Santomians, Iannobon Creoles with languages ​​based on Portuguese and Bantu languages, Fernandino Creoles with languages ​​based on English and Yoruba. Material culture characteristic of the tropical forest zone and very close to the culture of the south of the West African province.

South African province occupies the territories of southern Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern and central Mozambique. Inhabited by Bantu-speaking peoples, as well as peoples speaking Nakoisan languages: Bushmen (Sam) and Hottentots (Khoi-Koin). The name Hottentots comes from the Netherlands. Hottentot - “stutterer” (pronouncing clicking sounds). Africans and “coloreds” in South Africa speak Naafrikaans (a language that arose on the basis of the southern Dutch dialects), South Africans speak the local version of English. In the second half of the 1st millennium AD. Bantu-speaking tribes moved here from East Africa, pushing the Khoisan peoples into less favorable areas (the deserts of the Kalahari-Namib). The last major migration was the “Great Trek” - the resettlement of Afrikaners in the mid-19th century. from the Cape Colony, captured by the British, to the northeast, beyond the Orange and Vaal rivers (the creation of the Boer republics - the Orange Free State and Transvaal). The traditional occupations of the Bantu-speaking peoples are manual farming of the slash-and-burn type with fallow land (sorghum, millet, corn, legumes, vegetables) and semi-nomadic cattle breeding (cattle and small cattle). The Hottentots are engaged in transhumance, with the exception of the Topnar-Nama group in Whale Bay (Namibia), which until recently was engaged in marine hunting. The traditional food of farmers and cattle breeders is stews and porridges made from sorghum and corn, seasoned with vegetables, milk; The main drink is millet beer. The traditional clothing of the province is unstitched: a loincloth and apron, a leather kaross cloak. A traditional settlement with a circular layout of hemispherical huts is a kraal. Unlike most African peoples, who have an open hearth outside the home, in the yard, among the mountain inhabitants of the Tswana and Suto, adobe stoves are common.

Bushmen - one of the oldest inhabitants of South Africa, they appeared here about 20,000 years ago. They are mainly engaged in hunting, which is ineffective in semi-desert and desert conditions. They often have to suffer from hunger and thirst. Dehydration of the skin leads to the formation of wrinkles. With frequent fasting, the female body stores fatty tissue, which manifests itself in the form of steatopygia - the deposition of fatty tissue on the hips and buttocks with a dry physique. Walking on two legs saves energy, which makes a person very resilient. Bushmen practice hunting to exhaust the prey. The ability of the Bushmen to find water in the desert is amazing. They suck water from springs under the sand using reeds. A special feature of the national cuisine is the consumption of “Bushman rice” (ant larvae). Wind barriers made of branches tied at the top and covered with grass or skins are used as housing. The laws of inheritance of the epicanthus (fold of the upper eyelid) are different among the Mongoloids and the Bushmen. Among the Mongoloids this is a dominant trait, and among the Bushmen it is a recessive trait, so we can assume that epicanthus developed among the Bushmen in parallel with its development among the Mongoloids. The living conditions of the Bushmen are close to the living conditions of the Mongoloids (deserts and steppe zones with strong winds)

East African Province is divided into two subregions: Coastal (the Indian Ocean coast from Somalia to eastern Mozambique) and Interlake(Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, western and southern Uganda, northwestern Tanzania). The main part is inhabited by Bantu-speaking peoples and Nilotes, as well as peoples speaking Nanilo-Saharan languages. Cushitic-speaking Ethiopians and All Capoids are the remnants of an ancient substratum population, displaced by speakers of Bantu languages ​​to the north and south at the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. The inter-lake region is inhabited by Bantu-speaking tribes, as well as pygmies (Twa), while the coastal subregion is inhabited by Swahili-speaking peoples.

The culture of the East African coast and nearby islands was formed as a result of contacts between Muslims from Asia and Bantu-speaking aborigines. The Swahili civilization, which arose in the 7th-10th centuries on the basis of intermediary transoceanic trade with the Middle East, reached its peak in the 14th century. The Swahili people were engaged in fishing and sea animals, pearling, navigation and shipbuilding. They had significant knowledge of astronomy and navigation, and mastered the construction of houses made of stone and coral slabs. Caravan trade with the interior of East Africa contributed to the spread of Islam and Swahili, which became the main intermediary language in interethnic contacts. Currently, it is the official language of many countries, as well as the working language of the UN.

Mezhozerye is a hotbed of distinctive African statehood, formed in conditions of almost complete isolation and not experienced until the middle of the 19th century. no influence from developed civilizations. The predominance in the economy of Mezhozerye of the long-term and high-yielding banana crop, which did not require a large amount of land clearing work, contributed to the relatively easy production of excess product and the settled population, and also minimized the participation of men in agricultural work. Therefore, agriculture became a purely female occupation, and men were engaged in hunting, fishing and crafts, but above all - war and intermediary trade. Most of the ethnopolitical communities of Mezhozerye consisted of three endogamous communities that spoke the same language, but differed from each other in anthropological appearance and mainly in the sphere of activity, and each of them had a different social status. The Tutsi had the highest status - a pastoral aristocracy who owned large herds and the best lands and had an Ethiopian appearance and very tall stature: these are the tallest and thinnest people on earth. At the next level stood the Hutu farmers - typical Negroids, who were dependent on the Tutsi and rented livestock and land from them. The lowest level of the hierarchy was occupied by the Pygmeitva - hunters, potters and servants (both Ututsi and Uhutu). This ethnocaste system arose in the 15th century, when the Bantu-speaking Negroids (ancestors of the Hutus) were invaded by pastoralists - Nilotes and (or) Cushites. Having adopted the language and culture of Bantu farmers, they retained a number of pastoralist cultural features common to the pastoralists of the Horn of Africa. The sacred kings were always Tutsi, and the ruling elite consisted exclusively of the pastoral aristocracy.

Madagascar island province(Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion) is inhabited by Malagasy (Madagascar) and Creoles (Mauritians, Reunion, Seychellois), as well as people from South Asia who speak Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages. There are small groups of Chinese, Malays and Arabs. A special mixed racial type, combining the features of Negroids and Mongoloids, as well as southern Caucasians, includes the indigenous population of Madagascar - the descendants of Austronesians who migrated from the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. The material culture of the Malagasy has preserved many elements of South Asian origin (arrow-throwing tube, sailing dugout boat with a balance beam, rice sowing technology, sericulture, unstitched silk clothing - lamba type sarongai, etc.). Arable (plough) farming in combination with pasture and transhumance cattle breeding predominates.

Many scientists consider Africa to be the place where man appeared. Archaeologists, having carried out excavations in East Africa, in the second half of the 20th century discovered the remains of “homo habilis,” whose age is about 2.7 million years. Even more ancient human remains, about 4 million years old, were found in Ethiopia.

In terms of population, as well as area, Africa ranks third (after Eurasia) among the continents. The population of the mainland consists of indigenous and newcomers, the total number is about 600 million people. There are representatives of all major races here.

North Africa is inhabited by representatives of the southern branch of the Caucasian race (distinctive features are dark skin, narrow nose, dark eyes). These are the indigenous peoples - Berbers and Arabs. To the south of the Sahara live Negroids belonging to the equatorial race, which includes subraces and numerous groups of peoples. The most diverse black population lives in sub-Saharan Africa and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Hundreds of tribes and peoples, differing in skin color, height, facial features, language, and way of life, occupy these territories.

The Congo Basin, East and Southern Africa are inhabited by peoples who belong to the Bantu group. In the equatorial forests live pygmies, who stand out among the Negroids for their small stature (up to 150 cm), more light color skin, thin lips. The deserts and semi-deserts of South Africa are inhabited by Hottentots and Bushmen, who have characteristics of both Mongoloids and Negroids.

Part of the mainland's population is of mixed origin, as it was formed from the mixing of two or more races; these are the inhabitants of the Nile Delta, the Ethiopian Highlands, and the island of Madagascar. A significant part of the population consists of newcomers. Europeans live in almost all countries - former colonies: on the Mediterranean coast - the French, and in the south of the continent - the Boers (descendants of Dutch settlers), the British, French, Germans, etc. The population is distributed extremely unevenly across the continent.

Political map. Many peoples of Africa have an ancient civilization: Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Benin, Dahomey, etc. European colonization and the slave trade had a detrimental effect on the development of the economy and culture of the peoples of Africa. By the beginning of the 20th century, almost the entire territory of the mainland was divided between capitalist countries. Before the Second World War, there were only four independent states on the continent - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa. In the early 60s of the 20th century, an active liberation struggle of peoples for independence unfolded in Africa. In 1990, the last colony, Namibia, gained independence.

In total there are 55 states on the continent. With the exception of South Africa, an economically developed country, the rest of the countries are developing. North African countries. The territory of North Africa includes the region of the Atlas Mountains, the sandy and rocky expanses of the hot Sahara and the savannah of Sudan. Sudan is a natural region stretching from the Sahara Desert (in the north) to the Congo Basin (in the south), from the Atlantic (in the west) to the foothills of the Ethiopian Highlands (in the east). Geographers often consider this area to be part of Central Africa. North African countries include Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, etc. All countries have convenient geographical location, overlook the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The population of these countries has long-standing economic and cultural ties with the countries of Europe and South-West Asia. The northern territories of many North African countries are located in the subtropics, and most of them are in the zone of tropical deserts. The most densely populated areas are the Mediterranean coast, the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and the Nile Valley.

In the Sahara, life is concentrated mainly in oases, of which there are quite a lot. Most of them were created by man in places where groundwater is close, on the outskirts of sandy deserts and along dry riverbeds. The population of the countries is quite homogeneous. In the past, this part of the continent was inhabited by Berbers; in the 8th century AD. The Arabs came and a mixture of peoples occurred. The Berbers adopted Islam and the Arabic script. In the countries of North Africa (compared to other countries of the mainland) there are many large and small cities in which a significant part of the population lives. One of the largest cities in Africa, Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

The subsoil of the countries of North Africa is rich mineral resources. Iron, manganese and polymetallic ores and phosphorites are mined in the Atlas Mountains; there are deposits of the latter in Egypt. There are large reserves of oil and natural gas near the Mediterranean coast and in the Sahara. Pipelines stretched from the fields to port cities.

Countries of Sudan and Central Africa. Zaire is located in this part of the continent. Angola, Sudan, Chad. Nigeria and many small countries. The landscapes are very diverse - from dry short-grass to wet tall-grass savannas and equatorial forests. Some of the forests have been cleared and in their place plantations of tropical crops have been created.

Countries of East Africa. The largest countries by area are Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia. They are located within the highest and most mobile part of the continent, which is characterized by deep faults in the earth's crust, faults, volcanoes, and large lakes.

The Nile River originates on the East African plateau. The nature of the countries of East Africa, despite the fact that almost the entire territory is located in one subequatorial zone, is extremely diverse: tropical deserts, various types of savannas and humid equatorial forests. In the highlands, on the slopes of high volcanoes, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

The modern population of East Africa is the result of a mixture of different races. Representatives of the Ethiopian small race profess mainly Christianity. The other part of the population belongs to the Negroids - Bantu peoples who speak the Swahili language. There are also newcomers here - Europeans, Arabs and Indians.

Southern African countries. On the territory of this narrowest, southernmost part of the continent there are 10 countries, both large (South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, etc.) and very small in area (Lesotho, etc.). Nature is rich and varied - from deserts to tropical rainforests. The relief is dominated by high plains, elevated at the edges. The climate varies from north to south and from east to west.

South Africa is home to the largest diamond deposits not only on the continent, but also in the world, uranium ores, gold, non-ferrous metal ores. Indigenous people The peoples are Bantu, Bushmen and Hottentots; the Malagasy people live in Madagascar. The first Europeans to move to South Africa were the Dutch, later the British arrived. From the mixed marriages of Europeans with Africans, a group of people called colored people was formed. The modern population of the countries of South Africa, in addition to the indigenous population, consists of Europeans, mainly descendants of Dutch settlers (Boers) and the British, the colored population, as well as immigrants from Asia.

Multifaceted Africa, on a vast territory in 61 countries, with a population of more than a billion people, surrounded by cities of civilized 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 modest 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.

Cooking... Children of the tribe... Dancing men...

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. In addition, the appearance of the people of some tribes is simply amazing.

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 ones who wouldn’t do 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 Masai, 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 above 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 has only 10 million people. The Zulus use their own language, Zulu, which comes from the Bantu family and is the most widely spoken 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 the northern regions of 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 move 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 hides; 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”, however, 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 the afterlife, like other African tribes, but 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. Musical instrument they can make almost all of them. 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.

Video: Wild tribes of Africa:...

Africa is a place where people live, adhering to the rules of life, traditions and culture that developed several centuries ago and have reached today practically unchanged and are a clear guide to the everyday life of the population. The inhabitants of Africa still successfully exist through fishing, hunting and gathering, without feeling the need or acute need for the objects of modern civilization. This does not mean that they are not familiar with all the innovations of civilization, they simply know how to do without them, leading a secluded lifestyle, without making contact with the outside world.

Peoples inhabiting Africa

The African continent has sheltered many different tribes with different levels development, traditions, rituals and outlook on life. The largest tribes are Mbuti, Nuba, Oromo, Hamer, Bambara, Fulbe, Dinka, Bongo and others. Over the past two decades, tribal residents have been gradually adapting to a commodity-money system, but their priority is to provide themselves and their families with the necessary food products in order to prevent prolonged famine. We can say that the tribal population has practically no economic relations, which is why various conflicts and contradictions often arise, which can even end in bloodshed.

Despite this, there are also tribes that are more loyal to modern development, have entered into economic relations with other large nations and are working to develop public culture and industry.

The population of Africa is quite large, so on the continent, from 35 to 3000 people live on one square kilometer, and in some places even more, since due to the lack of water and the unfavorable climate of the deserts, the population here is unevenly distributed.

In northern Africa live Berbers and Arabs, who, over ten centuries of living in this territory, have conveyed local residents your language, culture and traditions. Arab ancient buildings still delight the eye, revealing all the subtleties of their culture and beliefs.

There are practically no inhabitants in the desert area, but there you can meet a large number of nomads who lead entire caravans of camels, which is their main source of life and an indicator of wealth.

Culture and life of the peoples of Africa

Since the population of Africa is quite diverse and consists of more than several dozen tribes, it is very obvious that the traditional way has long lost its primitiveness and in some aspects borrowed culture from neighboring inhabitants. Thus, the culture of one tribe reflects the traditions of another and it is difficult to determine who was the founder of certain rituals. The most important value in the life of a tribal people is the family; it is with it that most beliefs, traditions and rituals are associated.

In order to marry one of the girls of the tribe, the guy must compensate his parents for the damage. Often these are domestic animals, but recently ransom has also been accepted in monetary terms. It is believed that this tradition helps families unite, and also in the case of a good ransom amount, the bride’s father is convinced of the wealth of his son-in-law and that he will be able to properly provide for his daughter.

The wedding should only take place on the night of full moon. It is the moon that will indicate what the marriage will be like - if it is bright and clear, then the marriage will be good, prosperous and fruitful, if the moon is dim - this is very bad sign. The family in the tribes of Africa is characterized by polygamy - as soon as a man becomes financially wealthy, he can afford several wives, which does not bother the girls at all, since they equally share the responsibilities of housework and childcare. Such families are surprisingly friendly and direct all their efforts for the benefit of the tribe.

Upon reaching a certain age (it is different for each tribe), young people must undergo an initiation rite. Boys and sometimes girls are circumcised. It is very important that the guy does not scream or cry during the ceremony, otherwise he will forever be considered a coward.

Traditions and customs of the peoples of Africa

Africans spend a lot of time trying to protect themselves from evil spirits and get closer to good gods. To do this, they perform ritual dances (making rain, fighting pests, receiving blessings before hunting, etc.), getting tattoos, carving masks that are supposed to protect them from evil spirits.

Sorcerers and shamans play a special role in the life of the tribe. They are considered servants of spirits, it is to them that tribal leaders listen and common people come to them for advice. Shamans have the right to bless, heal, they conduct weddings and bury the deceased.

Residents of Africa are especially enthusiastic about honoring their ancestors, performing a whole series rituals of their worship. Often this is the worship of deceased ancestors, after whose death more than a year has passed; with the help of certain ritual actions, they are invited back to the house, allocating them a separate place in the room.

Before marriage, girls are taught a special language for married women that only they know and understand. The bride must come to the groom's house on foot and bring her dowry. Marriage can be concluded from the age of 13.

Another feature of tribal culture is the application of scars to the body. It is believed that the more there are, the better the man is as a warrior and hunter. Each tribe has its own drawing techniques.