Yoruba
Nigeria, Benin
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Being about 10 million strong, the Yoruba are one of the largest and most influential cultural groups in western Africa. Farming is the primary occupation for most people, but large urban centers also exist. Evidence for complex settlements in many of these cities dates them to between 800 and 1000 AD, and this fact attests to the great age and richness of the culture. Through trade, urban centers are supported by the surrounding farming areas, and each collective settlement is governed by an oba who works in conjunction with a council of chiefs. The Yoruba have a complex cosmology, and a huge pantheon of gods or orishas is worshiped. In addition, numerous complex ceremonies and masquerades exist to honor important ancestors. 7 |