The Sukuma are one of the largest ethnic groups in Tanzania, representing about 13 percent of the total population. Sukuma means "north" and refers to "people of the north". The Sukuma refer to themselves as Basukuma (plural) and Musukuma (singular).

About five million Sukuma live in Usukuma, located to the west and south of Lake Victoria. Mwanza, a city in Usukuma, is one of the largest and fastest growing areas in Tanzania. However, most of the area is rural and many Sukuma live in the countryside.

The Sukuma speak a language of the Bantu phylum, the Sukuma language , classified as the Sukuma-Nyamwezi Group of Bantu. They are predominantly subsistence farmers and cattle herders whose culture is based on cooperative social networks.

See also

• Nyamwezi
• Sungusungu

External links

• East Africa Living Encyclopedia, African Studies Center at University of Pennsylvania,
• Sukuma/ Nyamwezi Language Page, African Studies Center at Michigan State University
• Sukuma Museum, Tanzania