OROMO, African people of Hamitic origin numbering about 30 million and inhabiting the territory between central Ethiopia and the Sabaki River in Kenya.
The Oromo, are related to the Somali and to the Afars in the Danakil region of northeastern Ethiopia.
They speak Oromiffia, or Cushitic language, which is a branch of the Afro-Asian linguistic family. The Oromo are tall and longheaded, with brown complexions and regular features.
Livestock raising and beekeeping are the primary occupations. Monogamy is generally the rule, but in some areas polygamy is practiced, the number of wives being dependent upon the economic status of the husband. Some of the Oromo are Muslims and others are Christians who are adherents of the Coptic church,Orthodox
. Among the most important of the more than 200 Oromo tribes are the warlike Tulama group, consisting of about 35 tribes, with traditions of caste and slaveholding, and the Wallo, consisting of about 25 tribes.