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We Value our culture and tradition
The Shuwa Arabs are commonly referred to as the "Baggara." This name is
derived from the Arabic word bagar, meaning "cow," and refers to the
Arab tribes in West Africa who are cattle herders. They are spread from
the Lake Chad region eastward to the Nile River in the countries of
Sudan, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic.
They live in a hot, semi-arid climate with zones ranging from sparse
shrub lands to wooded grasslands.
The Baggara tribes are of Arab descent and mainly speak the Shuwa
dialect of the Arabic language. They entered western Sudan between the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and have gradually moved east and west
from there. By the eighteenth century, they were concentrated primarily
to the north and east of Lake Chad. Their tribes continued moving
eastward until they became widely scattered across the horizontal plains
of West Africa. They have intermarried with the tribes who lived close
to them. This mixture of blood has given the Baggara darker skin and
thicker lips than other Arabs.