Africa

We know Africa from top to bottom.

Upgrade to Britannica Online

Take a tour, New improved britannica online

Imagine Britannica's 32-volume encyclopedia online right there for you, plus full access to articles. Amazing content, written by world experts, that you can cite for projects and assignments.

Click here for Britannica shop

Songhai

Ethnolinguistic group chiefly inhabiting the area of the great bend in the Niger River in Mali, centred on the site of the old Songhai empire. Numbering some 1.5 million, the Songhai speak a Nilo-Saharan language. Songhai society traditionally was highly structured, comprising a nobility, free commoners, artisans, griots (bards and chroniclers), and (formerly) slaves. They cultivate cereals in the rainy season (June to November) and also engage in cattle raising and fishing. The Songhai have traditionally prospered from caravan trade. Many young Songhai leave home for the coast, especially Ghana.

Find more information on Songhai. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Songhai.

  • Get more

  • M?ss?ng more?

    Subscribers see 10 times more content. Just US $69.95 per year

  • Britannica, just as colourful as Hong Kong
  • Times may change, but insightful knowledge is still in demand. That's why Britannica brings a world of knowledge online, to Hong Kong. Have a look for yourself.