Zulu

The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 5 million people who live mainly in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa. They moved into South Africa in the 1500s from the Congo region, and are a Bantu-derived people. Under their king, Shaka in the early 1800s, they expanded their kingdom from 100 square miles to 11,000. Famous for their conflicts with Boer settlers and the British army in the 1800s (for instance, the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879 where Zulus defeated British troops at Isandhlwana on January 22.) Today they are known for their basketry and beadwork and as subsistence farmers. They are still recovering from the racial policy of apartheid. Their language is isiZulu.

''Zulu Warriors, late 19th century
(with some Europeans in the background)''

See also: Inkatha Freedom Party, African National Congress

Related tribes: Swazi, Xhosa, Matabele

See also Zulu stick fighting

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Zulu is also the letter Z in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Zulu is also another name for Coordinated Universal Time.