The
Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 5 million people who live mainly in
Kwazulu-Natal Province,
South Africa. They moved into South Africa in the 1500s from the Congo region, and are a
Bantu-derived people. Under their king,
Shaka they expanded their kingdom in the early 1800s, from 100 square miles to 11,000. Famous for their conflicts with
Boer settlers and the
British army in the 1800s (eg. the
Anglo-Zulu War in 1879 where Zulus defeated British troops at Isandhlwana on
January 22.) Today they are known for their basketry and beadwork and as subsistence farmers. They are still recovering from the racial policy of
apartheid. Their language is
isiZulu.
''Zulu Warriors, late 19th century
(with some Europeans in the background)''
Related tribes: Swazi, Xhosa, Matabele
See also: Inkatha Freedom Party, African National Congress, Zulu stick fighting, Shaka Zulu.
Zulu is also the letter
Z in the
NATO phonetic alphabet.
Zulu is also another name for
Coordinated Universal Time.
