Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia (Ethnic Groups of the World)

409 Pages·2011·4.66 MB·English

by  John A. Shoup

Ethnic Groups of Africa
and the Middle East
AN ENCYCLOPEDIA
John A. Shoup
EthnicGroups of theWorld
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Ethnic Groups of Africa
and the Middle East
Contents
Preface,ix
Acknowledgments, xi
Introduction:Ethnicity in Africa and theMiddleEast, xiii
Note onSpelling,xxiii
Acholi,1 Berbers, 53
Afar, 2 Beti/Beti-Pahuin, 59
Afrikaner,3 Bilen, 62
Akans,7 Bini/Edo, 63
AkaPygmies,11 Chagga, 67
Amhara,13 Chewa, 69
Annang,15 Chokwe,71
Arabs,16 Copts, 75
Armenians,26 Creole, 77
Assyrians,30 Dan, 81
Bafur,35 Diola, 82
Bakhtiyari,36 Dogamba, 85
Baluch,37 Dogon, 86
Bamileke,40 Ewe, 89
Bassa,42 Fon, 93
BaTwa, 44 Fulbe, 95
Baule,47 Fur,100
Beja,49 Ga, 105
Bemba,51 Ganda, 106
v
vi Contents
Gilaki andMazandarani, 108 Mbulu, 190
Gwari, 110 Mbundu, 192
Hadza, 113 Mbuti Pygmies,193
Haratin, 114 Mende,196
Hausa, 116 Mossi,198
Herero,120 Nguni,201
Hutu, 122 Nilotic,210
Igbo,127 Non-Africans:Asians,219
Ijaw,129 Non-Africans:Europeans,221
Isoko, 131 Nuba, 225
Jews,133 Nubians,227
Kalenjin,141 Nyamwezi, 230
Kamba,143 Oromo,233
Kanuri,145 Ovambo, 235
Khoisan,147 Ovimbundu,236
Kikuyu, 150 Persians, 241
Kongo,153 Rendille,249
Kuba, 155 Senufo,253
Kurds, 158 Sereer/Serer,255
Lebou,163 Shona,258
Lele,164 Somalis/Issas,263
Lemba,165 Songhay,265
Lingala, 166 Sotho/Tswana,267
Lozi,167 SouthArabian, 273
Luba, 169 Surma,275
Lulya, 171 Swahili, 277
Lunda,172 Talysh, 283
Luo,174 T(cid:1)eda/Tubu, 284
Lur, 176 Temne, 286
Makonde,179 Tigray/Tigrinya,287
Malagasy,180 Tigre, 288
Mande,182 Tiv, 290
Mangbetu,188 Tonga, 291
Contents vii
Tsonga,293 Wolof,319
Tuareg/Tuwariq, 295 Yao,325
Turks,300 Yoruba, 327
Tutsi, 307 Zaghawa, 333
Ubykh,313 Zande,334
Venda, 315 Zaza/Dimli, 336
Vili, 316
Listof Contributors, 339
GeographicalIndex, 341
Index, 349
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Preface
This encyclopedia is designed for both the beginner and the expert lookingfor informa-
tion on particular ethnic groups living in thevast region of the African continent to the
easternlimitsoftheMiddleEast.Thegroupsselectedarebasedonethno-linguisticclas-
sifications,andnotallindividualethnicitiesareincluded.Whenpossible,thosespeaking
closely related languages aregrouped together, and only thosewith particular historical
or political importance have been listed separately. For example, there is an entry for
BerbersandaseparateoneforTuareg,eventhoughtheTuaregarealsoBerber-speakers.
This encyclopediaofthepeoplesof theMiddleEast andAfricawasadifficultunder-
taking.Thegeographicalregionisvast,coveringtheentirecontinentofAfricaaswellas
theMiddleEast.TheMiddleEastisdefinedhereastheArabheartlandsoftheLevant,the
Arabian Peninsula, and Iraq in addition to Turkey and Iran. The Caucasus and Central
Asiaarecoveredinother,separatevolumesinthisseries.Afghanistanisalwaysdifficult
to pinpoint where it fits culturally because it can be included with Central Asia, Iran, or
South Asia, depending on how its cultures are being classified. It has not been included
inthis work.
WhenchoosinghowtoclassifythepeoplesofAfricaandtheMiddleEast,onlyclosely
related languages, and where there is a common feeling of something more shared
between subgroups, have been combined. For example, Berbers of North Africa are
one major entry with subdivisions within the entry for the different regional groups. In
addition, there are entries for the Copts of Egypt and the Assyrians of Iraq, both of
whom can be argued are religions and not ethnicities, since it is possible to convert to
thesereligions.However,botharemainlycomposedofancientpopulationswithdistinct
languages,even if they areonlyused in churchservicestoday.
Arabs are difficult to define, and they are one of the ethnicities with thewidest geo-
graphical spread in both the Middle East, across North Africa, down the East African
coast, and out into the Indian Ocean. Today Arabs form the majority population in
19 countries, and in 3 other countries, Somalia, Djibouti, and the Comoros Islands, the
majority of people have such a strong cultural connection to the Arabs that they are
included in the Arab League. In addition, Arab minorities are found in other Middle
Eastern and African countries. Arab identity is primarily linguistic, speaking a form of
ix