Found primarily in Chad, Libya, Niger, and Sudan, the Toubou consist of two smaller ethnic groups, the Teda and Dazagra people. The Toubou are semi-nomadic herders traveling between scattered oasis, wadis, and wells within the territories of each clan. Animal husbandry includes tending cattle and sheep, but focuses on raising camels; a family’s wealth and status is dependent on how many camels they own. Fitted with saddles, Toubou camels provide recreational and practical uses; they are trained for ceremonial racing or used for traveling between settlements. Adapt as camel riders, the Toubou had a long history of being fierce warriors patrolling the trade routes across the Northern Sahara. The Toubou speak Tebu, part of the western branch of the Nilo-Saharan languages. The Toubou population is estimated at less than one million with more than half residing in Chad.
