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Fula, Fulani Fulɓe
Fula women in the East Province of Cameroon.
Total population
10 to 13 million (2005)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Chad, Mauritania, Sudan and Ivory Coast.
Language(s)
Fula
Religion(s)
Islam

The Fula or Fulani or Fulbe (the latter derived from the word in their language, Fulɓe^[2]) are an ethnic group of people spread over many countries in West Africa, Central Africa and as far as East Africa. The countries in Africa where they are present include Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, The Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Liberia, and as far as Sudan in the east.

Contents 1 One people, many names 2 Related groups 3 Traditional livelihood 4 History 4.1 Origins and spread 4.2 Rise to political dominance 4.3 Colonial period and African independence 5 Culture & Language 6 Notable Fulani people 6.1 Politicians 6.2 Football stars 6.3 Journalist and writer 7 Notes 8 References 9 See also

There are also many names (and spellings of the names) used in other languages to refer to the Fulɓe. Fulani in English is borrowed from the Hausa term. Fula, from Manding languages is also used in English, and sometimes spelled Fulah or Foulah. Fula and Fulani are commonly used in English, including within Africa. The French borrowed the Wolof term Pël, which is variously spelled: Peul, Peulh, and even Peuhl. More recently the Fulfulde / Pulaar term Fulɓe, which is a plural noun (singular, Pullo) has been adapted to English as Fulbe, which some people use. In Portuguese it's Fula or Futafula.

A closely related group is the Tukolor (Toucouleur) in the central Senegal River valley. These people are often referred to together with Fulɓe of the region as Haalpulaar'en (Pulaar-speakers).

Fula society in some parts of West Africa features the "caste" divisions typical of the region. In Mali, for instance, those who are not ethnically Fula have been referred to as yimɓe pulaaku (people of the Fula culture).^{[citation needed]}

The Woɗaaɓe, also known as the Bororo, are a subgroup of the Fula people.

The Fulani are traditionally a nomadic, pastoralist, trading people, herding cattle, goats and sheep across the vast dry hinterlands of their domain, keeping somewhat separate from the local agricultural populations.

The ancient origins of the Fula people have been the subject of speculation over the years, some believing their origins to be as far as Egypt or Ethiopia. But several centuries ago, right after their ultimate ethnogenesis they appear to have begun moving from the area of present-day Senegal eastward.

During the 16th century the Fula expanded through the Sahelian grasslands stretching from what is today Senegal to Sudan. Their military strength centered on powerful cavalry that could quickly move across the large empire and defeat rivals, but the Fulani could not expand southwards, as the horses could not withstand the diseases of those latitudes.

Main article: Fula jihads

Beginning as early as the 17th and 18th centuries, but mainly in the 19th century, Fulas and others took control of various states in West Africa in a series of jihads. The result was a series of jihad states.

These included the Fulani Empire founded by Usman dan Fodio (which itself included smaller states), Fouta Djallon, Massina and others.

The language of Fulas is called Pulaar or Fulfulde depending on the region, or variants thereof. It is also the language of the Tukulor. All Senegalese who speak the language natively are known as the Halpulaar or Haalpulaar'en, which stands for "speakers of Pulaar" ("hal" is the root of the Pulaar verb haalugol, meaning "to speak"). In some areas, e.g. in northern Cameroon, Fulfulde is a local lingua franca.

With the exception of Guinea, Fulas are minorities in every country they live in (most countries of West Africa). So some also speak other languages, for example:

• Portuguese and Kriol in Guinea-Bissau
• French and Arabic in Mauritania
• Hausa and French in Niger
• French and English in Cameroon
• Wolof and French in Senegal
• Sango and French in Central African Republic
• Bambara and French in Mali
• English and Ghanaian languages in Ghana
• English and some indigenous languages in Sierra Leone, particularly Krio, that lingua franca.
• Hausa, other Nigerian languages and English in Nigeria

The traditional dress of the Fula in most places consists of long colorful flowing robes, modestly embroidered or otherwise decorated. Also characteristic Fula tradition is that of women using Henna around the mouth, resulting in a blackening around the lips. Fula ethics are strictly governed by the notion of pulaaku.^[3]

Fula are primarily known to be pastoralists, but are also traders in some areas. Most Fula in the countryside spend long times alone on foot, moving their herds; they were the only major migrating people of West Africa, though most Fula now live in towns or villages.

The Fula have a rich musical culture and play a variety of traditional instruments including drums, hoddu (a plucked skin-covered lute similar to a banjo) and riti or riiti (a one-string bowed instrument similar to a violin), in addition to vocal music. The well known Senegalese Fula popular musician Baaba Maal sings in Pulaar on his recordings.

• Umaru Yar'Adua, current President of Nigeria.
• Ahmadou Ahidjo, first President of Cameroon
• Thomas Sankara, Former President of Burkina Faso
• Shehu Shagari, Former Nigeria President
• Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria
• Amadu Wurie, was an early Sierra Leonean educationist and politician.
• Muhammadu Buhari, former Nigerian military ruler
• Adame Ba Konaré, Malian historian and spouse of Alpha Oumar Konaré
• Minkailu Bah, Sierra Leone's minister of Education, Youth and Sports
• Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Senegalese writer
• Chernoh Bah, Sierra Leonean journalist
• Issa Hayatou, current President African Football Confederation (CAF)
• Sulaiman Tejan-Jalloh, Sierra Leone ambassador to the United Kingdom
• Telly Diallo, first Secretary General of the OAU (Organization of the African Unity)
• Bocar Biro Diallo, former President of the Guinean National Assembly
• Amadou Diallo, young Bronx resident killed by police in 1999
• Baaba Maal, Senegalese singer
• Alimamy Rassin, Sierra Leonean chief
• Aminu Bello Masari, former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria.
• Usman dan Fodio, founder of Sokoto Caliphate
• Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Nigerian politician

• Bobo Baldé, Guinean football star
• Mamadou Diallo, Malian football star
• Boubacar Barry, Ivorian football star
• Mahmadu Alphajor Bah, Sierra Leonean football star
• Mohammadou Idrissou, Cameroonean football star
• Abdoul Salam Sow, Guinean football star
• Dawda Bah, Gambian football star
• Alioum Saidou, Cameroonean football star
• Alimamy Jalloh, Sierra Leonean football star

• Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Malian author.

1. ^ Ndukwe 16 (1996) gives a figure of 10 million; Gordon, "Adamawa Fulfulde", says 13 million speakers of all forms of Fulfulde.
2. ^ The letter "ɓ" is an implosive b sound. In the orthography for languages of Guinea (pre-1985), it was written bh, so one would write Fulbhe instead of Fulɓe. Some people still use this spelling convention.
3. ^ http://www.jamtan.com/jamtan/fulani.cfm?chap=1&linksPage=155

• Almanach de Bruxelles (now a paying site)
• Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.) (2005): "Adamawa Fulfulde". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th ed. Dallas: SIL International. Accessed 25 June 2006.
• Ndukwe, Pat I., Ph.D. (1996). Fulani. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
• WorldStatesmen - here Nigerian Traditional states

• Wodaabe
• Hausa people
• Mandé people
• Wolof people
• Songhai people