Dogon

Mali, Burkina Faso

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The Dogon number about 100,000, and they are primarily farmers by profession. They produce many crops that they store if large granaries 7. Their land is dominated by the massive Bandiagara Escarpment 7 that stretches over 200 km and serves as a natural barrier from invaders. Social organization is a based around families and clans, and the typical village is run by a council of elders. The Dogon, however, do not have a centralized political system, but numerous social and religious societies provide cultural unity. Their religion is based primarily on the worship of ancestors and spirits. 7