ETHNIC GROUPS IN NIGER

Zarma Songhaï

Peuls
Touaregs
Haoussa
Kanouri
 
ZARMA SONGHAI :
We can consider Zarma (or Djerma) and Songhaï as real cousins whose resemblance is characterized by an almost identical dialect. Zarma lives mainly in the left bank of river Niger, around Dosso and in the region which has their name, Zarmaganda. We also find them in Mali and in the North of Benin. Songhaï also populates the valley of the river and are mainly cultuvators or craft designers.
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PEULS :
Peuls are present almost everywhere in Africa, their origin remains rather mysterious. They would have left east Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Yemen) at the beginning of our era to make graze their crowds. They represent 10 % of the population of Niger. They remained nomads in North and became non nomads in South. Peul Bororo, which occupy all the Sahelian band(, form a very different ethnic subgroup. Remained fundamentally animistic, they dedicate a real cult to the beauty and forbid any interbreeding.
Gerewol celebration
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TOUAREGS :
Descendant of Berbers, Touareg became established in the massif of Aïr from VII th century and spread gradually their territory which covers now all Sahara. Today, Touaregs are still nomads but the aridities urged some to become non nomads . The pride of this ethny, is showed by their way to walk,their deep look, and tremendous beauty. Their dialect, Tamasheq is one of the rare written African languages and which possesses an alphabet: Tifinar.
Touaregs is the only Moslem people where men wear a veil while the women are bare face.
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HAOUSSA :
About 25 million Haoussa are distributed in the countries of western and central Africa, as well as in Sudan. They form the majority of the population of Niger and occupy mainly the central part of the country. Farmers in most of the cases, Haoussa is also, by tradition, skillful artisans and wild storekeepers.
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KANOURI : (ou Béri-Béri)
Several million Kanouri are distributed on both sides by the Lake Chad. They are farmers.
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