IRAQW TRIBE: One of the most dynamic and peaceful tribes in Tanzania

Iraqw people dancing as they thank god during the harvest season

The Iraqw tribe is one of the few non-Bantu tribes in Tanzania. They are Cushitic of Ethiopian origin - and their appearance is distinctive: they tend to be tall and light-skinned, with the prominent cheekbones and high foreheads common to people of Cushitic extraction.

However, it is uncertain when they migrated to northern Tanzania. Estimates vary between 1000 and 5000 years ago. The Iraqw maintain their strong agriculturalist roots of farming wheat, beans, sorghum and maize covering parts of two main regions of Arusha and Manyara.

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