Population migration resulting from slave raids
in the 18th and 19th centuries brought migrants
into the area of the CAR. The CAR has more than
80 ethnic groups, of which the major ethnic
groups are the Baya who account for 34% of the
population, the Banda who account for 25%, the
Sara for 7%, the Nabandi for 11%, the Azande
for 10%, and the Mbaka for 5%.
The Baya culture, also known as the Gbaya
culture, is a subset of Ubangian culture that
makes up about 82% of the regional population,
and there are many subgroups within the Baya
culture. Although French is the official language
of the CAR, Sangho, the language of the Baya, is
a common language used for commerce and
intertribal communication. Therefore, the role of
Baya culture in the life of the CAR cannot be
overemphasized.
Like most Bantu peoples living in rural areas,
the Baya are mainly farmers whose staple food is
cassava, and like most Ubangians, the Baya use a
method of farming called swidden or slash and
burn. It involves clearing the vegetation of a plot
of land, spreading it over the area to be used for
planting, and burning it. After about 3 years of
use, the plot is abandoned for about 4 years as
new plots are cultivated in rotation. The Baya use
this method for mostly all of their farming needs.
Cooperative labor enables the cultivation of large
plots. Manioc, yams, millet, corn, and bananas
are the main food crops. In modern times, the
Baya attend to crops such as cassava, yams, and
corn for their own needs, whereas crops cotton
and coffee are grown solely for exporting.
Because of the hot and humid climate, the Baya
live in hut-like homes made of dried bricks with
thatched roofs that tend to keep the rooms cool
during hot days and warm during the cold days of
the rainy season.
Before the advent of the foreign religions of
Christianity and Islam, the Baya had their own
indigenous African or Bantu culture of which the
religious aspect was based on the belief in the
existence of spirits in objects, ancestral spirits,
and gods that can be related to and pacified
through various sacrifices and rituals. The reli-
gious culture of the Baya has been threatened by
both Christianity and Islam, but it has been
resilient enough to enable some of its aspects to
be incorporated into the local practices of both
Christianity and Islam. The population of the
entire CAR is supposed to be mostly Christians,
accounting for 83% of the population, of which
33% are Roman Catholic and 50% are
Protestant; around 12% of the population fol-
lows local original indigenous beliefs, and 3%
are Muslims. Nevertheless, the ancestral beliefs
and practices persist through integration with
both Christianity and Islam.Daniel Tetteh Osabu-KleSee alsoRituals; SacrificeFurther Readings
Asante, M. K. (2007).The History of Africa. London:
Routledge.
Davidson, B. (1974).Africa in History. New York:
Macmillan.BEADS
Beads are a vital part of material culture through-
out Africa and simultaneously serve sacred, secu-
lar, social, and aesthetic functions. In West Africa
in particular, beads adorn the hair and body in
the form of headdresses; earrings; necklaces; arm,
wrist, and ankle bracelets; belts; and sashes. Beads
also adorn everyday and ceremonial clothing, as
well as sculptures, charms, fetishes, and other rit-
ual objects. In the past, beads were used as cur-
rency in some areas.
Beads express personal style, but also convey
social standing, wealth, age, marital status, cul-
tural, and spiritual affiliation. For example, in
Benin, a beaded cuff bracelet with a diamond
pattern would identify the wearer as a married
woman. A red, pink, dark blue, black, and white
beaded fringed belt in South Africa would be
worn by a diviner and would convey his status
and association with light, energy, knowledge,
and purity.
The personal use of beads begins in infancy,
where the mother will place a string of beads on
the child to thwart evil spirits. One such example
is found among the Yoruba, who place wristlets
of beads on infants to protect them from the116 Beads