The Yoruba are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, native to southwestern Nigeria and adjacent parts of Benin and Togo, with a long-documented history of urbanized city-states predating European contact, including the sacred city of Ile-Ife and the historical Oyo Empire. Yoruba social organization combines patrilineal descent, chieftaincy titles and a rich religious system (Ifa divination and the orisha pantheon) that has spread globally through the Atlantic slave trade into Afro-diasporic religions such as Santeria and Candomble. Contemporary Yoruba society spans traditional monarchies, a large Christian and Muslim population, and one of West Africa's most extensive urban trading networks. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Group TypeSourced to the subject's own account Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountWest Africa (southwestern Nigeria, with communities in Benin and Togo) 1 Primary LanguageSourced to the subject's own account Subsistence ModeSourced to the subject's own accountHistorically an urbanized agrarian and trading society organized around city-states (Ile-Ife, Oyo, Ibadan and others), with farming, craft production and long-distance trade. 1 Disputed
Population Estimateestimated 40 to 47 million 1 Sourced to the subject's own accountNigeria's national census does not publish ethnic breakdowns, so Yoruba population figures are extrapolated from regional demographic surveys and language-speaker counts, producing a wide cited range. Connections
Associated With
Yoruba facial and body scarification, known as ila, traditionally marked lineage, tribal, and status identification and remains among the best-documented African scarification traditions.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Yoruba
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, a region collectively called Yorubaland.
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