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African

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Arab, Ashanti, Bantu, &

Swahili

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This is a group of people who share a
common culture.

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They are identified on the basis of
religion, race, or national origin.

•

Ethnic groups can have many things in
common:
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Shared history, common ancestry,
language, religion, traditions, beliefs,
holidays, food, etc.

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These characteristics have been part of
their community for generations.

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All of these things make up a common
culture that is shared by the members
of the ethnic group.

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There are several thousand ethnic
groups in Africa, but some of the main
ones are the Arabs, Ashanti, Bantu, and
Swahili.

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© Brain Wrinkles

Ethnic

Groups in

Africa

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This is a group of people who share a
belief system.

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A religious group is identified based on
common religious beliefs and practices.

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They believe in the same god (or gods) and
have a common sacred text with a
specific set of rules about how to live.

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• Religious groups have many things in

common:
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God(s), prophets, prayers, history,
sacred text, religious laws, holy days,
etc.

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People from different ethnic groups
may share the same religion; however,
they may be from different cultures.

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Religion is part of everyday life in Africa, not
separate from it.

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Most Africans today are either Muslim or
Christian, but traditional religions and
customs still play a role in African culture.

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Elements of traditional African beliefs are
often woven into Muslim and Christian
practices.

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Most of Africa’s Arab population is
found in the countries of Northern
Africa.

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While the majority of Arabs are in
North Africa, the gold and salt trade
spread the Arab culture beyond the
Sahara into the Sahel region and beyond.

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• Arab people began to spread into North

Africa in the late 600s, when the first
Muslim armies arrived in Egypt.

• Arab armies, traders, and scholars soon

spread across northern Africa all the
way to Morocco.

• Wherever the Arabs went, they took

Islam and the Arabic language with
them.

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• Arabic was necessary to be able to read

the Quran, Islam’s holy book.

• The Arabic language, the religion of

Islam, and many other aspects of
Muslim culture became part of Africa.

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Most Arabs practice Islam, while small
numbers of Arabs practice other religions.
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Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all
Muslims are Arabs.

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Islam consists mostly of two different
groups.

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The majority of Muslims practice Sunni Islam,
and most others practice Shi’a Islam.
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Sunnis and Shi’a disagree about who is in
charge of the Muslim world.

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• Sunni Islam dominates in most Arab

areas, especially in North Africa.

• Shi’a Islam is dominant among the Arab

population in most of Southwest Asia.

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• The term “Arab” refers to an ethnic

group made up of people who speak
the Arabic language.

• Most Arabs, whether they are

Muslim or Christian, speak Arabic.

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The majority of Arab people are
found in Southwest Asia and
northern Africa.

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The language of the Arab people is
Arabic.

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Most Arabs, but not all, practice
Islam.

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• Prior to European colonization, the

Ashanti people developed a large and
influential empire in West Africa.

• Today, they live predominately in Ghana

and Ivory Coast.

• The total Ashanti population is over 7

million.

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• In 1701, a meeting of all the clan chiefs

in the region was held.

• In this meeting, it was said that a

Golden Stool was produced from the
heavens by a priest and landed on the
lap of Osei Tutu, the first king.

• The Golden Stool was declared to be the

symbol of the new Ashanti kingdom.

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• The Golden Stool is sacred to the Ashanti,

as it is believed that the kingdom will last
as long as it remains in the hands of the
Ashanti king.

• The Golden Stool is an Ashanti legend and

has only been seen by the tribe's royalty.

• Only the king and trusted advisers know

the hiding place of the stool.

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Ashanti religion is a mixture of supernatural
and animist powers.

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Animism is the belief that plants, animals, and
trees have souls.

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Ashanti believe in a supreme god who takes on
various names depending upon the region of
worship.

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They believe lower gods, like spirits, are on
earth to assist humans.

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The major dialect of the Ashanti
language is called ‘Asante’, or ‘Twi’.

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It is spoken in and around Kumasi,
the capital of the former Ashanti
empire, and within the current
sub-national Asante Kingdom in
Ghana.

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They live predominately in Ghana and Ivory
Coast.

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Most speak Twi (or Asante).

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The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual
and supernatural powers.
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They believe that plants, animals, and trees
have souls (animism).

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The Golden Stool legend is very important to
Ashanti culture.

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Bantu generally refers to nearly 600 ethnic
groups in Africa who speak Bantu languages.

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The Bantu people are distributed throughout
central and southern parts of the continent.

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Bantu make up about two-thirds of Africa’s
population and cover the southern half of
the continent.

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The word “bantu” means “the people”.

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• In Angola, archeologists have uncovered

scratches on rock, massive stone pillars, and
tools that place the Bantu people there
about 50,000 BCE.

• From there, they evolved and spread

eastward and southward.

• As they spread across the continent, they

met many new people, learned new skills,
and shared their customs and beliefs.

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• They intermarried with the people,

accepting new traditions and blending
them with Bantu culture.

• Bantu-speaking people settled as far

south as the southern tip of Africa.

• The Bantu migration was one of the

largest movements of people in Africa’s
history.

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Many Bantu people settled in areas where
there was a strong Arab presence and are
now Muslim.

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Other Bantu people were influenced by
missionary efforts in Africa and are now
Christian.

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Whether Muslim or Christian, many Bantu
retain their beliefs that precede both those
religions.
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They believe in the power of curses and
magic.

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There are over 650 different Bantu
languages and dialects.

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Today, close to 70 million people
across the southern half of Africa
speak Bantu-based languages and
share some part of Bantu culture.

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The Bantu people are found throughout
Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Bantu is a mixture of nearly 600
different ethnic groups combined.

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There are over 650 different Bantu
languages and dialects.

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Bantu practice Islam, Christianity, &
traditional African religions.

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• The Swahili people mostly inhabit a

narrow strip of land along the southern
coast of East Africa (in Kenya, Tanzania,
& Mozambique).

• Members also live on several nearby

islands in the Indian Ocean, including
Zanzibar.

• The total population is 1,328,000.

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• The Swahili community developed along

the coast of East Africa when Arab
traders began to settle there and
intermarry with the local Bantu-
speaking population.

• The group’s name comes from the

Arabic word “Swahili,” which means “one
who lives on the coast”.

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Islam established its presence in the region
during the 9th century, when Arab traders
made contact with the Bantu people.

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The Swahili are all Muslims and Islam has been
one of the factors that helped create a
common identity for such a diverse group of
people.

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Since Islam is a way of life, and religious
holidays are very important, the Arab culture
is a vital part of Swahili culture.

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The Swahili speak the Swahili language
as their native tongue.

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While the Swahili language is considered
a Bantu language, there are many Arabic
words and phrases included as a result
of interactions with early Arab traders.

•

Many also speak English.

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• The Swahili people are found in

eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, &
Mozambique).

• The language they speak is Swahili,

which reflects Bantu and Arab roots.

• The majority practice Islam.

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