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Xhosa people

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xhosa
Total population
7.9 million (2001, est.)
Regions with significant populations
Eastern Cape: 15.4 million

Western Cape: 11.1 million
Gauteng: 2.7 million
Free State: 0.1 million
Kwazulu-Natal: 0.22 million

(2001 estimates1)
Languages
Xhosa (many also speak Zulu, English, and/or Afrikaans)
Religion
African Traditional Religion, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Nguni, Ndebele, swati, other Bantu people and South Africans
 person  umXhosa
 people  amaXhosa
 language  isiXhosa

The Xhosa (Xhosa: amaXhosa) are an ethnic group living in South Africa. About 22% of people in South Africa are Xhosa. The Xhosa language, called isiXhosa, is a Bantu language of the Nguni subgroup, like Zulus. The amaXhosa tribe consists of many different tribes within the culture of amaXhosa; such as amaMpondo. The tribes are of different chiefs and kings and have no single ruler due to their diverse tribes which also practice cultural customs differently from tribe to tribe. The closer tribes consists of various clan names which have been in existence for centuries. The notable ones are, amaTshawe, amaCirha, amaQwathi, amaGcina, ooRhadebe, ooJola, amaSukwini, to name a few.

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