• Language group refers to people or communities who speak the same language or related languages.
• People of eastern Africa belong to different language group
• The Bantu
• The Nilotes
• The Cushites
• The Semites

CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN AFRICA ACCORDING TO

LANGUAGE GROUPS

Bantus

• Are the largest language group in eastern Africa
• Originally homeland was DRC, Cameroon, Zaire
• Are mainly found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi
• Tanzania has the largest number of Bantu.

Cushites

• They are pastoralists
• Migrated into eastern Africa from Saudi Arabia
• Main reason for migration was to search for water and pasture for their animals
• They are divided into;
• Eastern cushites
• Southern cushites

Eastern cushites

Southern cushites

• Mostly lives in central Tanzania and lower tana river regions of Kenya

Nilotes

• Is the second largest group in eastern Africa
• Originated from Nile valley, bhar-el-ghezal in south Sudan
• They were pastoralists
• Mainly migrated in search of pasture and water
• They also practised fishing along the rivers
• Are divided into three sub groups namely
• River-lake nilotes
• Highland nilotes
• Plain nilotes

River-lake nilotes

Highland nilotes

Plain nilotes

The semites

• Migrated from south Arabia Asia into the horn of Africa
• They crossed into Africa through the red sea
• Others came through the Indian ocean
• Mainly migrated looking for trade items and trading opportunity
• They are found in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan

Grade 6 Social Studies CBC Notes

REASONS FOR THE MIGRATION OF SELECTED LANGUAGE GROUPS INTO

EASTERN AFRICA

Migration of people from one place to settle in another place

People migrate from one place to another because of various reasons

Reasons for the migration of the Bantus

• They wanted fertile farming land to grow groups
• Escape from hostile neighbours
• Population pressure
• Running away from Outbreak of pests and diseases
• Running away from Drought and famine
• Internal disputes and conflicts
• Their population had increased and so they were looking for space to settle

Reasons for the migration of the Nilotes

• Need for pasture and water
• Running away from Epidaemic (outbreak of diseases)
• Running away Hostile neighbours i.e. external attacks
• Internal conflicts/disputes
• Overpopulation
• Running away from Drought and famine

Reasons for the migration of the Cushites

• Need for pasture and water
• Outbreak of diseases epidemics
• Moving from Drought and hunger 
• Hostile neighbours
• Running away from Internal conflicts among clan members
• Overpopulation hence need to settle away
• Spirit of adventure

Reasons for the migration of the Semites

• Need for better trading opportunities
• Search for trade goods
• Overpopulation
• Family and clan disputes
• Spirit of adventure
• Outbreak of human and animal diseases
• Spread their culture
• Wanted to spread Islam

MOVEMENT AND SETTLEMT OF LANGUAGE GROUPS IN EASTERN KENYA

EFFECTS OF THE MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENTS OF SELECTED

LANGUAGE GROUPS IN EASTERN AFRICA

• Displacement of smaller communities

Agikuyu displaced gumba and athi in central kenya

Abagusii displaced by luo and kalenjins

Bantu displaced by galla from shungwaya

• Conflicts between communities

Abagusii and the luo

Galla and bantu

Ngoni and the people of southern Tanzania

• Population increase
• Intermarriage between communities
• Adoption of economic practises among communities

 e.g.bantu learnt cattle keeping from nilotes and cushites learnt cultivation from the Bantus

• Introduction of new items of trade
• Borrowing of different words led to development of new languages
• Borrowing of cultural practises 

e.g.Bantu borrowed circumcision from the cushites

Bantus borrowed age-set systems from the cushites

UNITY OF LANGUAGE GROUPS IN EASTERN AFRICA

1. Intermarriage
2. Trade activities
3. Education for all
4. Cultural interaction
5. Living peacefully

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN EASTERN AFRICA

• Population refers to the number of people living in a given place
• Population distribution refers to how people are spread over in an area
• Population of eastern Africa is not evenly distributed
• Some areas are;
• Sparsely populated
• Medium/moderately populated
• Densely populated

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN EASTERN

AFRICA

1. Climate i.e. rainfall and temperature
2. Soils
3. Relief
4. Drainage
5. Economic activities
6. Vegetation
7. Government policy
8. Pests and diseases
9. Political factors(security)

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN EASTERN AFRICA

• Population density is the number of people living in a square km
• Densely populated areas of eastern Africa

The highlands region

The lake basin

Major towns and cities

Coastal areas of kenya and tanzania

Rwanda

Mining areas

Sparsely populated areas of eastern africa

North eastern uganda

Central and northern tanzania

Southern and western ethiopia

Large parts of eritrea

North eastern kenya

Most of somalia

Mountain tops

Flood plains

Northern sudan

EFFECTS OF HIGH POPULATION DENSITY IN EASTERN AFRICA

 There is high population density in most towns of eastern Africa.

Negative effects

• Food shortage
• Low standards of living and growth of slums
• Inadequate social amenities
• Land fragmentation

Positive effects

• Attracts investments
• Increase tax collection collected by the government
• Big markets for products
• Cheap labour