It's almost impossible to imagine life without the comfort of our beds, the convenience of 24-hour superstores and the thrill of a luxury vacation, but there are some communities that know a very different way of life. From the Tuareg, who spend their lives roaming the Sahara Desert, to the Nenets, who migrate 800 miles (1,287km) every single year, these are the world's last surviving, and most fascinating, nomadic tribes.
The continent of Africa is home to a vast number of remarkable indigenous tribes and Pokot is just one of them. Pokot people can be found in parts of Kenya and Uganda, and since the late 18th century this semi-nomadic group have maintained their unique traditions. Pokot families work with either crops or cattle, but cows play a huge role in society. In fact, wealth and status is determined by the number of cows one owns.
Feasts and dances also play a role in the Pokot way of life and colourful ceremonies are performed to bring spiritual balance and good health to the tribe, and to celebrate social transitions. Personal progress is also revealed through elaborate headdresses and jewellery. Many of the traditional practices of the Pokot are still embraced today, but the community has been influenced by modern life too. In Kenya, the completion of a new tarmac road through the district in 1983 brought about new educational, economic and social interactions.
Imagine spending your days in a climate that can drop to as low as −50°C (−58°F). Well, for thousands of years the Nenets have travelled across unimaginable landscapes in search of grazing grounds. But now their way of life is under threat, due in part to the climate crisis and the discovery of oil.
Native to Siberia, these indigenous people are reindeer herders and rely heavily on these beautiful animals for income, food and clothing. Every year, the Nenets move with their herds on an 800-mile (1,287km) round-trip from the plains in the north to the pastures below the Arctic Circle. Their annual journey involves crossing the world's fifth largest river and with global warming making the arctic tundra more changeable, this tribe may soon have to think about adapting their nomadic way of life.
Known as 'sea nomads', the Bajau people have lived at sea for more than 1,000 years. Found in the waters off Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, this age-old tribe live in floating housing, only coming ashore to sell their wares. Fishermen by trade, the Bajau people have remarkable diving skills. In fact, they spend around five hours a day free diving to depths of around 200 feet (61m), holding their breath for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Amazingly, new research has found that the reason the Bajau can dive for such long periods of time might be down to a DNA mutation, which has given the tribe larger spleens. Although their numbers have decreased, the sea nomads still follow a very traditional way of life. Sadly, though, they're still not recognised by any state, have no citizenship and no rights to settle on land. Plus industrial fishing is also putting their self-sustained way of life under threat.
Sadly, the Bajau are not the only nomadic group to have faced oppression in their own countries. One of the most stereotyped and misjudged groups is the Romani. Also known as Gypsies, which is now considered derogatory, Romani live in parts of Europe, including Romania, Bulgaria and Wales. Not to be mistaken with Irish Travellers, Romani are thought to be one of the largest ethnic minorities in Europe and are admired for their musical heritage and flamenco-inspired dress.
It's thought that the Roma, as Romani people are also known, migrated to Europe from India about 1,500 years ago and became nomadic by necessity, after suffering racial persecution. In order to make a living while constantly on the move, many Romani turned to roles such as livestock trading and fortune telling. Today, some travelling groups still use wagons and horses, although others have moved to motorhomes or have settled into permanent housing in order to escape continued discrimination.
Another nomadic group that face daily challenges is the Bedouin. These pastoralist desert dwellers occupy harsh Middle Eastern landscapes across countries including Egypt, Israel, Syria and Jordan. Faced with unwavering heat and seemingly endless journeys, the Bedouin have to be one of the hardiest nomadic tribes in the world. Historically animal herders, Bedouin people typically migrate into the desert during the rainy season and back to arable land in the dry summer months.
Yet, as with many nomadic groups, modern life has caused upheaval for the Bedouin people. In the late 20th century, Middle Eastern governments placed restrictions on their movements and implemented settlement programmes, making a nomadic lifestyle even more of a challenge. While a portion of Bedouin continue to follow a traditional way of life today, others have settled. Some of those remaining nomadic groups have embraced modern technology though, using motorbikes instead of camels to transport goods.
A landscape of scenic plateaus, barren deserts and forested mountain ranges, Mongolia is a truly captivating country. It's also a place were the nomadic culture has been a way of life for centuries. The East Asian country, which borders Russia and China, has a population of more than three million people, one million of which live as nomads. Pitching up yurts (known locally as gers) in open expanses, Mongolian nomads move twice a year, in spring and winter, with their vast livestock herds.
The nomads here typically own 1,000 animals, such as camels, sheep and goats. But sadly, this way of life is under threat. According to The Guardian, around 20% of the country’s people have moved to the capital of Ulaanbaatar in the last three decades, doubling the city’s population. With climate change affecting crops and causing biting winters, nomads are finding it increasingly difficult to raise animals, forcing them to the city in search of an alternative way of life.
Spectacular and vast, the Pindus Mountains of Greece appear to be the perfect place to take a scenic hike. But imagine living daily life in this challenging and remote location. Well, that's exactly what the Sarakatsani people do. Traditional shepherds, the Sarakatsani occupy areas of eastern Greece, moving their flocks between the plains of Thrace and the slopes of the Pindus Mountains, depending on the season.
The Sarakatsani build temporary homes with wood and branches covered with thatch, forming their floors and walls from dung. In the 1950s, there was said to be 80,000 Sarakatsani throughout Greece, but today there are thought to be less than 9,000. Their demise could be down to competition for grazing territory, as well as other political and social changes.
Occupying a barren landscape in the heart of the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Iran, the Qashqa’i people are another group that migrate several times a year to find better grazing grounds. As both pastoralists and agriculturists, these nomads move between low pastures and high grasslands, often covering distances of close to 300 miles (483km).
As with most nomadic groups, the Qashqa'i are not part of Iran's census but there are thought to be around 400,000 Qashqa'i people living today. Over the years, this ancient tribe, found nowhere else in the world, have also faced their fair share of disruption. From war to political dictatorships, the Qashqa'i tribe have managed to survive, although there is some generational conflict with younger people feeling the pull of towns. Many have also settled in permanent villages, moving between two houses throughout the year, in order to continue their pastoral ways.
Considered to be "agro-pastoralists", the Gaddi people can be found in a truly spectacular landscape in the Himalayas of northern India. As hill dwellers, the Gaddi rear sheep and goats in the breathtaking state of Himachal Pradesh. Their lives revolve around seasonal migration, moving their flocks from high to low lands as winter sets in.
While there are conflicting theories about the origins of the Gaddi, many believe they descended from persecuted refugees of Aurangzeb's reign, between 1658 and 1707. This historic tribe have lived the same way for centuries, selling wool and goat skins to traders, or exchanging meat for food during their travels. Sadly, global warming is making life increasingly difficult for the Gaddi, as good grazing pastures become harder to find – although the Gaddi believe the Hindu deity, Shiva, is responsible for the unpredictable weather.
Another of Africa's semi-nomadic communities is the Samburu tribe. Found in northern Kenya, the group depends on their livestock for survival. With a long and rich heritage of traditions, the Samburu relocate in order to keep their cattle fed. Every few weeks, the tribe will move to fresh grazing lands, building unique huts from mud, animal hide and grass.
The Samburu are known for their traditional dress and colourful beaded jewellery. Much like the Pokot tribe, this jewellery represents the status of the wearer. In recent times, the Samburu people have been placed under pressure from the government to settle into permanent communities, but have so far managed to uphold their nomadic ways despite violence from the police. Today, many Samburu run Kenya’s popular game lodges, giving visitors a chance to witness this tribe's captivating culture first hand.
Arabic-speaking nomads, the Rashaida traverse the northern hills of Sudan, moving goods across vast distances with the help of camels. The age-old tribe is thought to have relocated from Saudi Arabia about 170 years ago and according to the Christian organisation, Joshua Project, there are just 123,000 Rashaida people left today. While many still use camels to transport wares, others have turned to modern cars and trucks to make life that little bit easier.
There are many fascinating facts about this historic tribe, including that Rashaida women wear veils from a very early age. In fact, no man besides their husband will ever see their face. A man can only marry once he has found 100 camels to offer to his bride's family. The Rashaida migrate from place to place, setting up temporary camps, but since 1991 the government has been keen for the group to settle permanently, so the future of this nomadic community is unclear.
Believed to have originated from northern Scandinavia, the Sámi people are indigenous to Lapland, Norway, as well as parts of Sweden, Finland and Russia. There's thought to be around 80,000 Sámi people in the world and their way of life is extremely unique. Historically reindeer herders, the Sámi would travel in groups around the Arctic, facing biting winds and frosts, in order to find food for their livestock. That is, until recently.
Today, Sámi life is very different. While there are many who uphold traditions, some have given up the nomadic lifestyle for permanent housing and jobs, after some Scandinavian governments claimed Sámi land, introduced heavy taxes and tried to eradicate Sámi culture. Unable to make a living as reindeer herders, many Sámi now work in tourism or farming. Even now, discrimination has led to Sámi shunning.
Also known as Kuchis, which literally means ‘nomad’ in Persian, the Kochi people can be found in southern and eastern Afghanistan. As herders, nomadic Kochi have no fixed home and move around based on the weather and the availability of grazing lands. At one time, this group owned about 30% of all the sheep and goats in Afghanistan. Some Kochi also work as traders, transporting goods such as tea and sugar, between South Asia and the Middle East.
Yet sadly, the Kochi people were greatly affected by drought, modern road networks and conflict, so much so that they are now one of the poorest communities in Afghanistan. In fact, many have now left their nomadic lives behind, following pressure from the government to conform. Today, it's thought that only a few thousand people still follow the traditional Kochi ways.
Over the past 15 years, life for the Nukak-Makú nomadic tribe of Colombia has changed dramatically. For centuries, the group lived in the depths of the Amazon Rainforest, far from modern society and digital innovations. Then, in 1988, the tribe came into contact with the outside world. Their land was taken by coca growers, the leaves of which are used to make cocaine, and diseases like malaria wreaked havoc. As a result, more than half of the entire Nukak-Makú tribe was wiped out.
Survival International campaigned for the tribe, which led to the Colombian government finally granting them rights to their ancestral land. The Nukak Reserve now spans almost one million hectares. The tribe spend just a few days in one place, before uprooting and moving somewhere else, building simple shelters from wood and palm leaves and hunting for food. Today, the Nukak are one of at least 32 Colombian tribes thought to be at "imminent risk of extinction".
Spanning 3.5 million square miles (9 million sq km), with temperatures reaching as high as 47°C (117°F), the Sahara Desert is one of the most inhospitable places in the world. Yet the Tuareg nomadic tribe thrive here, and have done since the 4th century. Until the mid-20th century, Tuareg people made a living through trade and were responsible for moving goods across the great desert. Yet, due to modern transport and political conflict, this way of life has slowly changed.
In the 2010s, there were thought to be around two million Tuareg across Africa, and in this society it's the men who wear veils, especially in the presence of women. Living in tent-like homes, the Tuareg have been forced to look for new ways of making a living in recent decades. While many are still camel herders, some now have multiple occupations, including labour and tourism roles. Still unsettled, many Tuareg now reside in refugee camps, leaving the future of this historic tribe in jeopardy.
Now read about the secret wonders hidden in the world's largest deserts