Tanzania The Promised Land Tanzania The Promised Land | Page 21

Tanzania is Ranked Second in the World
by Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
In the Fearon list, cultural fractionalization is
approximated by a measure of similarity between
languages, varying from 1 = the population
speaks two or more unrelated languages to 0 =
the entire population speaks the same language.
This index of cultural diversity is biased towards
linguistic variations as opposed to genetic
diversity and other variations. Tanzania was
ranked second in the world.
Tanzania is Among Countries
with the Most Tribes
There are more than 120 tribes in Tanzania,
not including ethnic groups that reside in
Tanzania as refugees from conflicts in nearby
countries. Nor does the list include ethnic
groups indigenous to other countries that
have large immigrant populations in Tanzania,
such as immigrants or their descendants
from the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian
subcontinent. Sukuma is the largest tribe
Tanzania The Promised Land
consisting of 16% of the population. Shown in
the photograph above is the popular Sukuma
dance where they dance with pythons.
The Hehe tribe is one of the most famous
tribes in Tanzania. Historically, they are
famous for vanquishing a German expedition
at Lugalo on August 17, 1891 and maintaining
their resistance for seven years. The following
war left the Hehe shattered, culminating in the
suicide of their head chief, Mkwawa, who shoot
himself in 1898. Mkwawa is still considered a
hero by the nation today.
The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting
southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are
among the best known local populations due
to their residence near the many game parks
of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive
customs and dress. Travelers often visit Massai
villages, to watch the impressive adamu, the
traditiona; Maasai dance where warriors jump
from the ground as a rite of passage.
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