Azande

Africahorticulturalists

Map
expand_more Description

The Azande are a large group, living in Sudan and the Central African Republic as well as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Azande constitute a conglomeration of originally distinct ethnic groups that became culturally, politically, and linguistically united through conquest during the first half of the eighteenth century. They were led by two dynastic clans. In colonial times, traditional patterns of shifting cultivation were disrupted by cotton growing and other economic schemes and consequent resettlement. The diet is supplemented by hunting and fishing. Since independence, coffee has become an important cash crop in western Zandeland, and in many areas some cotton is still grown. The Zande have long been known as expert blacksmiths, potters, and wood carvers.

Identifier
Region
  • Africa
Subregion
  • Central Africa
Subsistence Type
  • horticulturalists
Samples
Countries
  • Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  • Central African Republic
  • South Sudan
External Links