Ethnos

Azande

The Azande (plural, Bazande) are a people of north central Africa. Their number is estimated by various sources at between 1 and 4 million. The word Azande means the people who possess much land, and refers to their history as conquering warriors. There are many variant spellings of Azande, including: Zande, Zandeh, A-Zandeh, Sandeh, etc.

They live primarily in the northern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo, in southwestern Sudan, and in the southeastern Central African Republic. The Congolese Azande live in the province of Upper Zaïre; the Sudanese Azande live along the shores of the Uele River, and the Central African Azande live in the districts of Rafaï, Zémio, and Obo.

They speak an Adamawa-Ubangi language, and most practice a traditional animist religion. ***