13 Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara (Wandala) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

Today’s article will be purely educational. You will get to learn about an ethnic group in Nigeria and increase your knowledge of the people. Today’s post will give you 13 Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara (Wandala) Ethnic Group in Nigeria.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara Ethnic Group in Nigeria

Nigeria is a very diverse country when it comes to culture. There are over 250 ethnic groups with three as the country’s major ethnic groups. The Mandara people are one of the many minority groups and this post will educate you about them as well as their resident state.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara (Wandala) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

The following are interesting facts about the people of Mandara (Wandala) ethnic group in Nigeria as well as the state in which they reside.

1. State

Records show that the Mandala people reside just south of Lake Chad in both northern Cameroon as well as Nigeria. The state that they reside in is probably Borno State.

2. Language

The native language of the people is Wandala which is also Mandara. The Wandala language belongs to the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.

3. Land Formation is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara Ethnic Group

The land formation of the Mandara people is also important. The people occupy a mountainous area. It is where the Gotel and the Mandara mountains meet.

4. Climate of the Land

The Mandara people occupy a hot tropical region. The place only has 30 inches of rainfall every year. There are some species of animals that can be seen there due to the climate. Some animals are chimpanzees, Baboons as well as eagles and also giant hawks.

5. Occupation

The people survive with different occupations of which farming is predominant. They cultivate their crops with hoes. Their staple crop is sorghum. The people also grow tobacco, beans, peas, pumpkins and also yams.

They have North African and Egyptian influences in the way of their irrigation, cultivation of garlic, as well as manure fertilizers. There are some families that raise cattle, small horses, goats, sheep as well as dogs and chickens.

The people also trade their crafts in local markets. Their means of exchange were strips of cotton and cowrie shells.

6. Village System is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara Ethnic Group

The people of Mandara build their houses in the form of rectangular compounds. A dirt wall surrounds each compound. Also, each compound contains several small huts. The hut walls are made of woven grass mats and they also have straw thatch roofs.

7. Leadership

The people have a headman who lives at the centre of the village. This headman oversees the entire community. There is also an Islamic mosque at the centre of the village. The religious leader of the mosque assists the headman to make decisions that concern the village.

8. Society System

The society of the Mandara people is mainly male dominating. The father passes his inheritance to his eldest son. The society of the Mandara people is also patrilocal. In essence, newlyweds are to live among the groom’s family.

9. Marriage is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara Ethnic Group

The union of marriage is a high factor among the Mandara people. The payment of bride price is what seals the marital union. The bride’s price is usually in the form of livestock or money. The practice of common wives is not frowned upon in the society. However, the first wife is the chief wife and she has authority over all the other wives.

10. Dressing

The Mandara people have influences from northern Africa in regard to their dressing. They wear Muslim dress in the typical northern African style. The people also carry leather amulets around their necks. The amulets contain verses from the Quran.

11. Religion

The major religion of the people is Islam. The majority of the people practice Islam with mosques at the centre of their villages. There are a few Christians among them but the Islam population is more.

12. Identification is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Mandara Ethnic Group

The ethnicity of the Wandala people is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. There are others that are peculiar to northern Cameroon.

13. Class

The Mandara society is one of the early societies that realize class. The society is stratified with Sultan and royalty, farmers, horse breeders, artisans, ironworkers as well as smiths. These different groups form distinct occupational and social classes.

Conclusion

If you wish to know more about the Mandara people, then this article is surely what you need. The facts come in simple form and they will help you understand some of the people’s culture and beliefs.

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