Question

The Maasai Cattle herders live primarily in___________.
A)East Africa
B)West Africa
C)South Africa
D)North Africa

Answer 1

Hint: The staple of subsistence economy in Africa are the areas of Cattle herding and dairy production, as the area is suitable for cattle survival. These regions are semi-arid and have lack of water with poor soils, hence pastoral communities adopt pastoralism as a way of life.

Complete answer: The Maasai cattle herders live in Africa, along with other pastoral communities like Bedouins, Somali, Boran, and Turkana. Half of the world's pastoral population resides in Africa. These parts are semi-arid and are unsuitable for agriculture therefore cattle herding became the primary food production system. These pastoral herders raise animals like cattle, camels, goats, sheep and sell dairy items, animal skin, meat and wool.
Under colonial rule, the Maasai cattle herders, witnessed various changes as their vast stretches of land from North Kenya to the steppes of North Tanzania, were scrambled for territorial possessions, by dividing the region into different colonies. The Maasai were pushed into a small area in north Tanzania and southern Kenya in the lands for uncertain rainfall and poor lands, soon after their lands were taken over for the white settlement. *
 large tracts of their land were converted into Reversed lands, where these pastorals were not allowed to enter these reserves, they were not allowed to hunt nor graze their herds in these areas. The Maasai pastoralists had dominated their agricultural neighbours both politically and economically, in pre-colonial times but the situation reversed by the end of the colonial rule.
Options B, C and D can be eliminated.
Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Note: Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where the livestock (domesticated animals) are released onto pastures ( outdoor lands). There are different levels of mobility in pastoral communities.