The Hadza, or Hadzabe, are an indigenous ethnic group in north-central Tanzania, living around Lake Eyasi in the central Rift Valley and in the neighboring Serengeti Plateau. The Hadza number just under 1,000. Some 300–400 Hadza live as hunter-gatherers, much as their ancestors have for thousands or even tens of thousands of years; they are the last full-time hunter-gatherers in Africa.
The Hadza are not closely genetically related to any other people. While traditionally classified with the Khoisan languages, primarily because it has clicks, the Hadza language is an isolate, unrelated to any other. The lifestyle of the Hadza tribe has been linked to a diet high in honey, fruit, and tubers, with meat contributing only around 10% of their caloric intake. Their way of life is highly conservative, with traditional practices and gender roles that have remained largely unchanged for thousands of years. Despite pressures from neighboring tribes and the Tanzanian government, the Hadza have managed to preserve their traditional lifestyle remarkably well compared to other indigenous groups.
