Fulani

E9155

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.

All labels observed (15)

How this entity was disambiguated

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

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (167)

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

Toucouleur people relatedEthnicGroup Fulani
this entity surface form: Fula people
Southern Niger ethnicGroups Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani (Peul) people
Gumel ethnicGroupSignificant Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani people
Kazaure hasEthnicGroup Fulani
Kaloum languageUsed Fulani
Marghi people neighboringEthnicGroups Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani people
Margi people neighboringEthnicGroups Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani people
Keffi ethnicGroup Fulani
Awe ethnicGroup Fulani
Bachama people neighboringEthnicGroup Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani people
Ansongo hasEthnicGroup Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani (Peul)
Bourem hasEthnicGroup Fulani
Mopti Region ethnicGroup Fulani
this entity surface form: Fulani people
Bathurst languageUsed Fulani
this entity surface form: Fula