II.

The Land and People of Darfur

Darfur covers an area of nearly 500,000 sq km (nearly 200,000 sq mi). It shares its western border with Libya, Chad, and the Central African Republic. From north to south, Darfur straddles the edge of the Sahara desert, reaches across the semiarid Sahel and savanna, and borders forests of Africa’s wet tropical region. In central Darfur the Jebel Marra massif dominates the landscape, rising more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) at its highest peak. The massif receives significantly more rain than other areas of Darfur, and seasonal streams called wadis flow from its heights. Jebel Marra marks the watershed between the Nile Basin (also known as the Sudan Basin) to the east and the Chad Basin to the west.

Depending on definitions, there are between 30 and 90 ethnic groups or tribes in Darfur. Arabs of the Juhayna lineage comprise 40 percent of the population, and the majority of them live in southern Darfur. The main Arab tribes are the Rizeigat, Beni Halba, Habbaniya, Ta’aisha, and Zayadiya. Arab immigration occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries. The largest non-Arab groups are the Fur (about 25 percent of the population), the Masalit (about 12 percent), and the Zaghawa (about 9 percent). These groups have lived in Darfur since ancient times. The region also includes a sizeable population of West African origin, mostly Hausa speaking. Centuries of intermarriage between Arabs and non-Arabs has blurred physical distinctions among the people in Darfur. Nearly all Darfurians are Muslims, and most belong to the Tijaniyya (Tijaniyah) Sufi order. See also Islam; Sufism.

Traditionally, most Darfurians practice mixed livelihoods, including farming and raising livestock. The staple crop is pearl millet (also known as bulrush millet), a type of cereal grass. It is grown during the rainy season from June to September, supplemented by irrigated farming along seasonal rivers and on the slopes of Jebel Marra. Farmers also tend cattle, sheep, and goats. Pastoralists herd camels in the north and cattle in the south, migrating seasonally with their herds. Most non-Arabs are farmers, and many Arabs are pastoralists.