What is the Sahel Region of Africa?

Image: Felix Koenig:
The Sahel region: a belt up to 1,000 km (620 miles) wide that spans the 5,400 km in Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea

The Sahel Region of Africa is "a belt up to 1,000 km (620 miles) wide that spans the 5,400 km in Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south. Having a semi-arid climate, it stretches across the southernmost extent of Northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The Arabic word...literally means 'shore, coast', describing the appearance of the vegetation found in the Sahel as being akin to that of a coastline delimiting the sand of the Sahara. The Sahel covers parts of (from west to east) the Gambia, Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, Burkina Faso, southern Algeria and Niger, northern Nigeria and Cameroon, central Chad, southern Sudan, northern South Sudan and northern Eritrea. ..." Sahel

Image: Sent to me by e-mail for use/LWH
The "painting" is multiple pieces of the colorful African cloth. Thought to be Fulani.

Image: Sent to me by e-mail for use CopyrightLWH
Fulani horsemen in the 1967 parade in Niger; sent to me by e-mail, for use, by a gentleman who worked in Africa for many years. Thank you LWH.

Image: Permission LHW/Fulani Horsemen/Griots
Fulani Horsemen/Musicans or Griots

Image: YouTube Video
Fulani Horsemen/Uploaded on Feb 28, 2012/http://www.facebook.com/ZoneFulbe/The Fulani people of West, North, Central and Eastern Africa.

Image: Sent to be by e-mail.  Permission to use: LWH.
Fulani woman

Who are the Fulani? "Hausa-Fulani is a term used to refer collectively to the Hausa and Fulani people of West Africa. The two are grouped together because since the Fulani War their histories have been largely intertwined within Nigeria. For example, when the Fulani took over the Hausa city-state of Kano during the expansion of the Sokoto Caliphate, the new emirs ended up speaking the Hausa language instead of Fulfulde over the years. However, a significant portion of Fulani society are opposed to the use of this term, which has been made popular most especially in recent times by its increased use in mass media. The Hausa and Fulani together account for 32% of Nigeria's population. Nigeria's other major ethnic groupings are the Yoruba and Igbo (Ibo)." Hausa-Fulani    Fulani People

Image: CopyrightLWH
Mules are rare in the Sahel. The gentleman who provided this image has seen only one or two while serving in Africa. Donkeys are the work animal for many. He doubts they have any breed names for them; perhaps by location or ethnic group. This is an image of a donkey at work. He mentioned that camels are a major player in Africa and are divided into riding or baggage/work camels.

See also:

Western Sudan Pony aka Darfur Pony, Gharkawi or Kordofani Breed
Mali and the Equid (Horses and Donkeys)
First posted: Dec 16, 2014
Last update: May 13, 2020