Twa | Pygmies, Hunter-Gatherers, Central Africa | Britannica (original) (raw)

Twa, one of the best-known of the many Pygmy groups scattered across equatorial Africa. Like all other African Pygmies, the Twa, averaging about 5 feet (1.5 m) in height, are a people of mixed ancestry, probably descendants of the original inhabitants of the equatorial rainforest. They live in the high mountains and plains around Lake Kivu, in Congo (Kinshasa), Rwanda, and Burundi, and function in economic symbiosis with the pastoral Tutsi, the agricultural Hutu, and other peoples. Many specialize in pottery, which they market; others hunt.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.