Zulu people

The Zulu  are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. There are 10-12 million Zulu living in South Africa, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal province. However, a small number of Zulu also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. The Zulu language, called , is a Bantu language of the Nguni subgroup.

The Zulu Kingdom was very important in South African history during the 1800s and 1900s. During Apartheid, the Zulu people were third-class citizens and suffered from official discrimination. Today the Zulu people are the largest ethnic group in South Africa and have equal rights.

 Beginning 
The Zulu were originally a major clan in the area that is today Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The Zulu clan was started around the year 1709 by Zulu kaNtombhela. In the Nguni languages, the words iZulu, iliZulu, and liTulu mean heaven, or sky.

In the early 1700s, many large Nguni communities and clans lived in the area. These groups were called isizwe (nations) and isibongo (clans). These Nguni communities had migrated down the East coast of Africa over thousands of years. These movements of people were called the Bantu migrations. They probably arrived in what is today South Africa in the 800s.

Related pages
 Shaka Zulu
 Zulu language

 References 

 Other websites 
 History section of the official page for the Zululand region , Zululand.kzn.org
 People of Africa, Zulu marriage explained, africanholocaust.net
 Izithakazelo, wakahina.co.za

Category:Ethnic groups in South Africa