There are not many places left on our planet where you can see communities of people living in living conditions that have remained virtually unchanged over many centuries. One of these places is Africa, where there are people who live by hunting, fishing and gathering. These tribal communities lead a largely secluded life, rarely coming into contact with the population around them.

Although recently the traditional way of life of many nationalities and tribes has undergone significant changes, and they are increasingly integrated into modern commodity-money relations, many continue to engage in subsistence farming. These communities are characterized by low-productivity agriculture. Their main economic task is self-sufficiency in basic food products in order to prevent prolonged famine. Weak economic interaction and a complete lack of trade often become the cause of interethnic contradictions and even armed conflicts.

Other tribes reached a higher level of economic development, gradually assimilating with larger state-forming peoples, and at the same time losing their distinctive features. The abandonment of natural forms of economic management, and increasing involvement in modern economic relations, contributes to increased cultural and technological development. Which is reflected in increased productivity and a general increase in material well-being.

For example, the introduction of the plow among some agricultural peoples and tribes in West Africa led to a significant increase in crop yields and an increase in available funds, which in turn led to the creation of favorable conditions for further modernization of agricultural work and the beginning of mechanization.

List of largest African tribes and nationalities

• Makonde
• Mbuti
• Mursi
• Kalenjin
• Oromo
• Pygmies
• Samburu
• Swazi
• Tuaregs
• Hamer
• Himba
• Bushmen
• Gourma
• Bambara
• Fulani
• Wolof
• Malawi
• Dinka
• Bongo

More than 1 billion people live on the African continent, or 34 people per square kilometer. In fact, Africa's population is unevenly distributed. The waterless deserts, scorched by the heat, where there is no rain for years, are almost deserted. In the impenetrable forests of Equatorial Africa, only a few tribes of hunters cut paths. And in the lower reaches of large rivers, every piece of land is cultivated. Here the population density increases sharply.

In the Nile oasis, over three thousand people live on one square kilometer. The northern and eastern coasts of the mainland and the shores of the Gulf of Guinea are also densely populated. International trade and modern industry, banks and scientific centers are concentrated in large cities.

North Africa is inhabited by Arabs and Berbers, who belong to the southern branch of the Caucasian race. 12 centuries ago the Arabs came to the Mediterranean coast. They mixed with the local population and passed on their language, culture, and religion. Ancient buildings testify to the high art of Arab architects, the taste and skill of the people. Ancient Arab cities have still retained their unique appearance. Narrow streets sheltered from the sun, merchants' shops on every corner, artisans' workshops.

The vast territory of Central Africa extends south of the Sahara. Numerous black peoples live here: Sudanese peoples, pygmies, Bantu peoples, Nilotes. All of them belong to the equatorial race. Distinctive features of the race: dark skin color, curly hair - developed over a long time under the influence of natural conditions. Among Negroids there are hundreds of different tribes and nationalities with unique facial features, head shape, and skin color. The Nilotic peoples, for example, are the tallest people on the mainland. The average height of a Nilotic man is 182 cm, and the height of a pygmy is 145 cm. In the forests of Equatorial Africa live the shortest people on earth, skilled trackers and hunters.

The appearance of African huts has remained unchanged for centuries. Most of the population of Central Africa lives in such villages. The source of food is agriculture. The main tool of work is a hoe. In savannah and open forests with rich grass cover, nomadic herders graze cattle. Residents of the coast, in addition to farming and animal husbandry, engage in fishing. And some peoples completely connected their lives with the water element.

In eastern Africa, on the territory of Ethiopia and Somalia, there are peoples of mixed race (the peoples of Ethiopia and Somalia, Nilotes, Bantu peoples). The ancient ancestors of the Somalis and Ethiopians probably descended from a mixture of Caucasians and Negroids. Thin facial features are like those of Caucasians, dark hair color and curly hair are like those of Negroids. Excavations in Ethiopia have shown that man lived there 4 million years ago.

The indigenous population of South Africa are Bushmen, Hottentots, and Boers. South Africa is the most developed part of the black continent due to the industry of South Africa.

Off the eastern coast of the mainland is the island of Madakascar. The Malgash, representatives of the Mongoloid race, live here. 2000 years ago, Malagasy sailed to Madagascar from Indonesia.

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 a settled life, and it was on the basis of such peoples inhabiting Africa in the south that the first states began to appear in the region.

The next influence on the southern population was the Europeans, who first arrived there in 1652, although they had passed through before. Foreigners subsequently dominated and ruled all of South Africa for about 350 years, which affected 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 areas, 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.

You can observe various religions in these territories, among which there are a large number of adherents of Islam and Christianity; the beliefs of ancient ancestors have not been forgotten.

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 Caucasoid 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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Peoples and countries

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.

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. Pygmies live in the equatorial forests, standing out among the Negroids by their small stature (up to 150 cm), lighter skin color, and 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. The countries of North Africa include Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, etc. All countries have a convenient geographical location, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the 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 in 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 Swahili. 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.

On the territory of South Africa there are the largest deposits of diamonds, uranium ores, gold, and non-ferrous metal ores not only on the continent, but also in the world. The indigenous population consists of the Bantu, Bushmen and Hottentot peoples; the Malagasy 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.

Africa- a continent on which traces of the life activity of ancient man on the planet were found. Therefore, the mainland is considered the birthplace of humanity. Africa is inhabited by peoples of all three major races.

Representatives Caucasian, namely its southern branch (Arabs, Berbers and Tuaregs), inhabit the north of the mainland. They have dark skin, a narrow nose and an oval face, dark eyes and hair. The peoples of North Africa speak Arabic and Berber.

Peoples live south of the Sahara equatorial race(Negroids). They are characterized by dark skin color. Negroids have a wide, flat face, thick lips, and curly hair. Negroids are the inhabitants of East Africa - tootsi, whose growth reaches 2 m. They live in humid equatorial forests pygmies(Fig. 84), whose maximum height is 150 cm, in the Nile basin - nilots with almost black skin, and in southern Africa - bushmen And Hottentots, who have a yellowish skin color and a wide, flat face. The Ethiopian highlands are inhabited Ethiopians, In appearance they look like Caucasians, but their skin color is brown with a red tint. They live on the island of Madagascar Malagasy, belonging to Mongoloid race.

Any country in Africa is home to dozens of different peoples and tribes, all of them have their own language, traditions, and way of life (Fig. 85). Material from the site

Nomadic tribe of the Sahara. The Tuareg nomadic tribe lives in the Southern Sahara. They engage in trade and breed camels and goats. At night they sleep in tents made from animal skins. The tribe's name means "closed from view," as Tuareg men wear traditional costumes made of black or dark blue cotton and wrap long scarves around their heads.

Two world wars spread in Africa religion: predominates in the Arab countries of North Africa Islam, in other countries - Christianity. There are also numerous indigenous religions on the continent.

Racial and linguistic African population composition very diverse.

On this page there is material on the following topics:

• Tuareg people of Africa short report

• A message on the topic of African costumes

• Report on the topic African tribe

• Reporting any representative or object of mainland Africa

• Essay on geography on the topic of the indigenous Ahmara people in Africa

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