Fulani

E9155

Muslim people ethnic group nomadic people pastoralist people

The Fulani are a large, traditionally pastoralist West African ethnic group spread across many countries, known for their nomadic cattle-herding culture, Islamic scholarship, and significant historical role in regional empires and trade.

Observed surface forms (8)

Surface form	Occurrences
Fulani people	18
Fula	5
Fula people	3
Mauritanian Pulaar	1
Peul	1
Peulh	1
Pulaar Fulani	1
Western Fulani	1

Statements (68)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Muslim people ⓘ ethnic group ⓘ nomadic people ⓘ pastoralist people ⓘ
artForm	decorative leatherwork ⓘ epic storytelling ⓘ oral poetry ⓘ
conflictContext	involved in farmer–herder conflicts in the Sahel ⓘ
culturalPractice	Pulaaku code of conduct ⓘ age-grade initiation rites ⓘ elaborate hairstyles ⓘ facial scarification in some subgroups ⓘ
dietStaple	couscous ⓘ milk ⓘ yogurt ⓘ
economicActivity	dairy production ⓘ livestock trade ⓘ
ethnicLanguage	Fula language ⓘ
hasAlternativeName	Fulani ⓘ surface form: Fula Fulani ⓘ surface form: Fulani people Toubou ⓘ surface form: Fulɓe Fulani ⓘ surface form: Peul Fulani ⓘ surface form: Peulh
historicalRole	founders of the Sokoto Caliphate ⓘ leaders of 19th-century jihad states in West Africa ⓘ rulers in the Fouta Djallon Imamate ⓘ rulers in the Futa Toro Imamate ⓘ
identityConcept	Fulfulde ⓘ surface form: Fulfulde (language name in many areas) Fulɓe (plural people) ⓘ Pullo (singular person) ⓘ
languageFamily	Atlantic–Congo languages ⓘ Niger–Congo languages ⓘ
majorityStatusInCountry	largest pastoral group in West Africa ⓘ
migrationPattern	seasonal transhumance ⓘ
notableLeader	Usman dan Fodio ⓘ surface form: Muhammad Bello Nana Asma’u ⓘ Usman dan Fodio ⓘ
populationEstimate	tens of millions ⓘ
presentInCountry	Burkina Faso ⓘ Cameroon ⓘ Central African Republic ⓘ Chad ⓘ The Gambia ⓘ surface form: Gambia Ghana ⓘ Guinea ⓘ Guinea-Bissau ⓘ Côte d'Ivoire ⓘ surface form: Ivory Coast Mali ⓘ Mauritania ⓘ Niger ⓘ Nigeria ⓘ Senegal ⓘ Sierra Leone ⓘ
primaryReligion	Islam ⓘ
region	Sahel ⓘ Sub-Saharan Africa ⓘ West Africa ⓘ
socialStructure	clan-based organization ⓘ division between nomadic and settled communities ⓘ
traditionalDress	distinctive conical hats ⓘ flowing embroidered robes ⓘ
traditionalOccupation	Islamic scholarship ⓘ cattle herding ⓘ long-distance trade ⓘ transhumant pastoralism ⓘ
traditionalReligionBeforeIslam	African traditional religion ⓘ
writingSystem	Arabic alphabet ⓘ surface form: Arabic script Latin alphabet ⓘ

Referenced by (60)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Nasarawa State → majorEthnicGroup → Fulani ⓘ

Sokoto State → majorEthnicGroup → Fulani ⓘ

Jukun people → neighboringGroups → Fulani ⓘ