Nubians

Also known as: Nile Nubians — distinct from the unrelated Nuba Mountains peoples

Language family: Nubian languages (Nilo-Saharan)

One of Sudan's oldest documented peoples, native to the Nile valley stretching from southern Egypt to northern Sudan. The main riverine groups include the Kenzi, Halfawi, Sukkot, Mahas and Danagla, while the fully Arabized Shaigiya and Ja'alin also trace Nubian descent. Most Nubians today speak Arabic as a second language alongside Nubian languages. The construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s displaced roughly 100,000 Nubians and flooded much of Lower Nubia.