Origins & History
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to an enormous diversity of peoples, and this category groups the many ethnic groups native to Africa south of the Sahara. It includes Bantu-speaking peoples (the largest linguistic family in the region), Nilotic, Cushitic, Khoisan, and West African groups among many others. Human civilization itself originated in this region, with ancient kingdoms including Kush, Aksum, Great Zimbabwe, Mali, and Benin.
Geographic Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of approximately 1.2 billion people across more than 40 countries. Major population centers include Nigeria (over 220 million), Ethiopia (over 120 million), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (around 100 million), South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Thousands of distinct languages are spoken across the region.
Diaspora & Migration
The Sub-Saharan African diaspora is enormous, shaped by the historic transatlantic slave trade and more recent voluntary migration. Descendants of enslaved Africans form significant populations in Brazil, the United States, the Caribbean, and other parts of the Americas. Recent African migration has grown communities in France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Italy, and Canada.
About This Map
This map shows crowd perceptions of Sub-Saharan African populations. Because this is a very broad category encompassing many distinct peoples, results reflect general visibility rather than any single group.
The map above shows crowd opinion, not official demographic data. Vote on the main map to contribute your own perception of where Sub-Saharan African populations live.