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Nomadism, way of life of peoples who do not live continually in the same place (a practice called sedentism) but move cyclically or periodically. It is distinguished from migration, which is noncyclic and involves a total change of habitat. Nomadism does not imply unrestricted and undirected wandering; rather, it is based on temporary centers whose stability depends on the availability of food supply and the technology for exploiting it. The term nomad encompasses three general...