The
Maasai are a
Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting southern
Kenya and northern
Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the
African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress. The Maasai speak
Maa (ɔl Maa), a member of the
Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to
Dinka and
Nuer. They are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania,
Swahili and
English. The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 841,622 in Kenya in the 2009 census, compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census.