Discover the Dinka of South Sudan, believed to be the tallest people in Africa

The Dinka is a South Sudanese ethnic group that has a substantial diaspora abroad. The astounding height of the Dinka people is well known. They are thought to be the tallest people in Africa, alongside the Tutsi of Rwanda.

The Nilotic tribe known as the Dinka lives in South Sudan along the Nile from the Jonglei to the Abyei region of the Ngok Dinka. The kingdom of Alodia, a Christian, multi-ethnic empire ruled by Nubians, is said to have existed in the Gezira (modern-day Sudan), where they are said to have originated. They are the largest ethnic group in South Sudan and one among the three tribes that comprised the first settlers.

After defending their territory from Ottoman Turks and thwarting attempts to sell them into slavery by slave traders who intended to convert them to Islam, the Dinka tribe spread over the region in the middle of the 1800s. The Dinka made up around 18% of the 4.5 million people in South Sudan, according to the 2008 census.

The Dinka people are known as Sudan’s most renowned livestock caregivers in the country since they largely practice traditional agriculture and pastoralism. Cattle farming is important to them not only for food and business profit but also as a gauge of power and riches.

In a 1976 study, Roberts and Bainbridge discovered that 52 Dinka Agaar’s average height was 182.6 cm (5 ft 11.9 in), but 227 Dinka Ruweng’s average height, measured in 1953-1954, was 181.3 cm (5 ft 11.4 in). According to 1995 research, Dinka men in refugee camps in Ethiopia were on average 176.4 cm tall (5 ft 9.4 in). However, a recent study indicates that Dinka boys’ size is likely dropping because of starvation and armed violence.

According to various studies of historical height data comparisons and food, the Dinka are today considered to be the tallest people in the world. Their calorie-dense diet is heavy on dairy products, grains, and meat.

The Dinka people are frequently referred to as “the tribe of basketball” and seem to have some of the tallest individuals in both Africa and the rest of the world. It seems that tall, skinny, and dark-skinned people make up the majority of the population. Because of how different and singular their physical qualities have made them, they attract a lot of tourists who come to see them. 

It’s interesting to note that Manute Bol, a Dinka man who is 7 feet 7 inches tall, is also the tallest NBA player in history. He had stints with the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat. Whatever the cause of the Dinka people of South Sudan’s remarkable height, they are thought to be hospitable people who take pride in their culture and in being the tallest humans in Africa.