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| − | '''Amhara''' (አማራ) is an ethnicity of people in the central highlands of [[Ethiopia]], numbering about 15 million, making up between 20 and 25% of the country's population (estimates differ). They speak [[Amharic language|Amharic]], the official language of Ethiopia, and dominate the countries political and economic life. | + | '''Shona''' ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: {{IPA|[ʃə<sup>o</sup>nə]}}) is the name collectively given to several groups of people in [[Zimbabwe]] and western [[Mozambique]]. Numbering about eight million people, who speak a range of related dialects whose standardised form is also known as [[Shona language|Shona]]. |
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| − | ==Agriculture==
| + | However, many black Zimbabweans do not self-identify as Shona, preferring instead to describe their origin in terms of their specific language/dialect group (e.g. [[Zezuru]]) or ancestry group (e.g. Rozvi). Ancestors of today's Shona groups are believed to have been the first permanent inhabitants of the region where the [[Great Zimbabwe]] site was later established, with archaeological evidence of Iron Age occupation in the 5th century AD. |
| − | About 90% of the Amhara are rural and make their living through farming, mostly in the Ethiopian highlands. Prior to the 1974 revolution, absentee landlords maintained strict control over their sharecropping tenants, often allowing them to accumulate cripling debts. After 1974 the landlords were replaced by local government officials, who play a similar role.
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| − | Barley, corn, milet, wheat and [[teff]] along with beans, peppers and other vegetables are the most important crops, in the highlands one crop per year in normal, while in the lowlands two is possible.
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| − | ==Religion==
| + | {{ethno-stub}} |
| − | Their predominant religion has for centuries been [[Christianity]], with the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Church]] playing a central role in the culture of the country and of the Amharic ethnic group. The church maintains close links with the [[Egyptian Coptic Church]]. [[Easter]] and [[Epiphany]] are the most important celebrations, marked with services, feasting and dancing.
| + | most Zimbabweans either identify themselves as either belonging to the Ndebele or Shona ethnic group. Dialect groups are nowadays almost irrelevant because 'standard' shona is spoken throughout Zimbabwe. Dialects only help to idnetify which town or village a person is from rather (e.g. a person claiming to be a Manyika would be from Eastern Zimbabwe). |
| − | Marriages are often arranged, with men marrying in their late teens or early twenties, and women as young as fourteen. Civil marriages are common, although some marry in churches. After a church wedding, divorce is not considered possible. Each family hosts a separate wedding feast after the wedding.
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| − | Upon childbirth, a priest will visit the family to bless it and / or circumcise it if it is a boy. The mother and child remain in the house for fourty days after childbirth, before going to the church for baptism (see also [[churching]]).
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| − | ==Art==
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| − | Amharic art is typified by religious paintings, one of the most notable features of which are large eyes of the subjects, who are usually biblical figures.
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| − | ==History==
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| − | Historians generally consider the Amhara to have been Ethiopia's ruling elite for centuries, represented by the line of emperors ending in [[Haile Selassie]]. Commentator Marcos Lemma disputes the accuracy of such a statement, arguing that other ethnic groups have always been active in the country's politics. One possible source of confusion for this stems from the mislabeling of Amharic speakers as "Amhara," and the fact that many people from other ethnic groups have Amharic names.
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| − | == External links ==
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| − | * Lemma, Marcos (MD, PhD). {{Web reference | title=Who ruled Ethiopia? The myth of 'Amara domination' | work=Ethiomedia.com | URL=http://www.ethiomedia.com/newpress/the_amara_myth.html | date=February 28 | year=2005}}
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| − | [[Category:Ethnic groups of Ethiopia]]
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| − | [[de:Amharen]]
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| − | [[nl:Amharen]]
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| − | [[fi:Amharat]]
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Shona (IPA: [ʃəonə]) is the name collectively given to several groups of people in Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. Numbering about eight million people, who speak a range of related dialects whose standardised form is also known as Shona.
However, many black Zimbabweans do not self-identify as Shona, preferring instead to describe their origin in terms of their specific language/dialect group (e.g. Zezuru) or ancestry group (e.g. Rozvi). Ancestors of today's Shona groups are believed to have been the first permanent inhabitants of the region where the Great Zimbabwe site was later established, with archaeological evidence of Iron Age occupation in the 5th century AD.
Template:Ethno-stub
most Zimbabweans either identify themselves as either belonging to the Ndebele or Shona ethnic group. Dialect groups are nowadays almost irrelevant because 'standard' shona is spoken throughout Zimbabwe. Dialects only help to idnetify which town or village a person is from rather (e.g. a person claiming to be a Manyika would be from Eastern Zimbabwe).
