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Which groups of people traditionally lived as pastoralists in the Sahara Desert?
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Sahara
Sand dunes in the Sahara, near Merzouga, Morocco.
Various groups have traditionally practiced pastoralism in the Sahara, adapting to the desert's harsh environment by herding animals such as camels, sheep, and goats, while cattle are more common along the southern borders near the Sahel.1
Major pastoral groups include:
- Tuareg: Known for their independence and warlike qualities, these Berber-speaking people inhabit vast areas of North and West Africa, traditionally relying on camel and zebu cattle herding.12
- Teda: Primarily camel herders residing in the Tibesti region and its southern borderlands, noted for their physical endurance.1
- Regeibat: A major pastoral group located in the northwestern Sahara.1
- Chaamba: A significant pastoral group found in the northern Algerian Sahara.1
- Sanhaja: A Berber clan historically known as camel-mounted nomads.1
- Moorish groups: Historically organized into powerful tribal confederations in the western regions of the desert.1
These groups often maintained hierarchical social structures and engaged in transhumance, moving their herds cyclically in search of water and forage.13