Who are the Tuaregs of the Sahara?
The Tuareg people are about 2 million nomadic people who live across the Sahara Desert, including in the North African countries of Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria and Chad. The Tuaregs are part of the Berber group of people, and they are largely Muslim.
Who are the Tuareg tribe?
Tuareg, French Touareg, Berber-speaking pastoralists who inhabit an area in North and West Africa ranging from Touat, Algeria, and Ghadames, Libya, to northern Nigeria and from Fezzan, Libya, to Timbuktu, Mali. Their political organizations extend across national boundaries.
How do Tuaregs survive in the desert?
The Tuareg have survived by adapting their needs to what little the desert can give them. Their traditional nomadic existence involves traveling by camel caravan accompanied by their livestock, and living in tents made out of camel skins or goat hair. They eat mostly meat and cheese made from camel or goat milk.
What race are the Tuaregs?
The Tuareg people (/ˈtwɑːrɛɡ/; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn) are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Is Tuareg black?
While the Tuareg are not a black African people, a group of their slaves came directly from the Sudan. They also acted as slave hunters, slave merchants, slave caravan guides and protectors of the slave trade routes.
What did the Tuareg tribe eat?
NUTRITION. Bread, meat, water and milk are the basic elements of Imuhar (Tuareg) nomads’ diet. Normally, in the morning, adults drink only green tea with sugar. At noon, they eat bread dipped in milk and in the evening bread dipped in tomato sauce (sometimes with meat).
What is the difference between Berbers and Tuaregs?
The Tuareg language is a southern Berber language having several dialects among the different regions. Berber is an Afro-Asiatic language closely related to Egyptian and Semitic-Canaanite languages.
Why are the Tuareg called blue people?
They have been labeled “The Blue People” for centuries because of their fabulous flowing turbans and robes. The indigo dye rubs off on skin, leaving a blue cast. Tuareg clans move around in a harsh climate, and their nomadic travels are determined by the seasons and the environment, not political boundaries.
What do Tuareg people wear?
Generally, typical clothing worn by men include a veil, a shirt and a pair of trousers. For the Tuareg men who travel long distances on their camels in the heat of the desert, their trousers need to be practical and they are large, loose and baggy.
What language do Tuareg speak?
Tamashek
Tamashek is the language of the Tuareg, who often call themselves the Kel Tamagheq, or Tamashek speakers. The language is also spoken in Algeria and Mali and possesses its own writing, called tifinagh, which is in widespread use.
Why do the Tuareg wear blue?
But for the nomadic Tuareg people, the so-called “blue men of the Sahara,” these garments remain as the main attire. The question is, why won’t they change their look? Well, the answer is simple. The clothes are effective against the desert’s scorching heat.
What do the Tuaregs call themselves?
The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” Today they are known for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the Sahara Desert.