Mandara people
Mandara people were a part of a Sultanate | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Cameroon | 75,000 |
| Nigeria | 21,000 |
| Languages | |
| Wandala language | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mura people, Malgwa people | |
The Mandara people, also known as Wandala or Mandwara, are a Central African traditionalist ethnic group found in north Cameroon northeastern Nigeria, and southeastern Chad. They speak the Wandala language, which belongs to the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic Language family.
Their origins are unclear. They live in the mountainous region and valleys north of the Benue River in Cameroon, and have long been a part of the Mandara Sultanate. Their region witnessed slave trading and sub-Saharan caravans till the 19th century. The Mandara people were known for their horse raising and iron working skills, and featured a society that was socially stratified.