About
About the project
The Dictionary of African Ethnic Groups is a personal project whose goal is to make knowledge about Africa clear and accessible.
Before modern nations and states, there were ethnic groups, peoples, and kingdoms. History and borders have sometimes erased them, yet these peoples still exist today — carrying their languages, cultures, and traditions.
I am currently collecting and organizing available information to include it in this dictionary.
The work is long and challenging because it is difficult to find reliable data about Africa, but the goal is to bring this knowledge together and make it easy to explore.
Sources
Complete bibliography — African Populations & Ethnic Groups
International Sources (Main)
UN — United Nations
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.World Population Prospects 2024 / 2025 (WPP)
- United Nations Statistical Division (UNData)
CIA — The World Factbook
Central source for ethnic distribution by country (when available).
- CIA — Ethnic Groups (country comparison)
- CIA — Country Profiles(Example: South Africa)
UNESCO / Statistics Institute
Sources by Region (Official African Institutes)
North Africa
Libya
- No functional institute → UN & CIA data
Western Sahara
- Data via UN + academic reports (Hassaniennes)
West Africa
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
- Instituto Nacional de EstatÃstica da Guiné-Bissau(no functional website → UN & CIA data)
Sierra Leone
Central Africa
Central African Republic
Congo (Brazzaville)
Equatorial Guinea
- CIA + UN data
São Tomé and PrÃncipe
East Africa
Ethiopia
Somalia
- UN + CIA data
Eritrea
- UN + CIA data (no public statistics)
Mozambique
Mauritius
Seychelles
South Sudan
- UN + CIA data
Southern Africa
South Africa
Namibia
Botswana
Lesotho
Academic & Linguistic Sources
African Studies Journals
- Journal of African History — Cambridge University Press
- African Studies Review — Cambridge
- Cahiers d'Études Africaines — EHESS
- Journal of Modern African Studies