Legas

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Legas, one of the Shanqella group of tribes, regarded as among the purest types of the Galla race. They occupy the upper Yabus valley, in southwest Ethiopia, near the Sudan frontier. The Legas are physically distinct from the Shangalla. They are of very light complexion, tall and thin, with narrow hollow-cheeked faces, small heads and high foreheads. The chiefs families are of more mixed blood. The Legas are estimated to number upwards of a hundred thousand, of whom some 20,000 are warriors (as of 1911). They are, however, peaceful, kind to their women and slaves, and energetic agriculturists. Formerly independent, they came about 1900 under the sway of Ethiopia. The Legas are pagans, but Islam has gained many converts among them.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.