Tebu

(also Tibbu or Tubu), a people living in the central Sahara, primarily in the Republic of Chad, with small groups in Niger and Libya. They number about 250,000 (1970, estimate).

The Tebu are divided into two main groups, the Teda in the north and the Daza in the south. Their language belongs to the Kanuri-Tubu group, and they practice Islam. The Tebu are semi-nomadic, combining livestock raising (camels among the Teda and cattle among the Daza) with the farming of wheat, barley, and millet in the wadi beds, using intermittent streams for irrigation. Wild fruit gathering and hunting are common.