Tuareg man in traditional indigo dress selling salt blocks, Timbuktu, Mali
Tuareg is a term used to identify numerous diverse groups of people who share a common language and a common history. Tuareg camel caravans played the primary role in trans-Saharan trade until the mid-20th century when European trains and trucks took over. Goods that once were brought north to the edge of the Sahara are now taken to the coast by train and then shipped to Europe and beyond. Tuareg history begins in northern Africa where their presence was recorded by Herodotus. Many groups have slowly moved southward over the last 2,000 years in response to pressures from the north and the promise of a more prosperous land in the south. Today, many Tuareg live in sedentary communities in the cities bordering the Sahara that once were the great centers of trade for western Africa. Although most Tuareg now practice some degree of Islam, they are not considered Arabic.
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Photo credit: © Patrick Syder Images / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: africa, ancient, camel, caravan, desert, herder, hisroric, mali, nomad, nomadic, north, route, sahara, salt, timbuktu, trade, trader, tribe, tuareg
