The Hausa people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. They predominantly live in small villages where they farm and raise livestock. The Hausa established several states between 500-700 CE in what is now northern and central Nigeria, adopting Islam in the 11th century. They were later invaded by the Fulani people in 1810, integrating the two groups. The Hausa language is part of the Afro-Asiatic family and they have been strongly influenced by the surrounding Sahelian and Chadic cultures.