| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Sudan and  Eritrea | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Beja |
Balaw (or Belew) is an Arabic speaking nomadic tribe of Beja and Bedouin ancestry inhabiting the area of western and southern Eritrea.
The origin of the Balaw is thought to be somewhere along the Suakin area of eastern Sudan. During the second wave of the Beja migrations into Eritrea, the Balaw (Belew) people, a then predominantly Christian group of mixed Beja and Bedouin ancestry, entered the country between the 12th and 15th centuries CE. Some groups continued down the coast up until Zeila where they influenced the political and social configurations and attained positions of political preeminence.
References
- "The ancestors of the Tigrinya people". Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- Red Sea Citizens Cosmopolitan Society and Cultural Change in Massawa. Indiana University Press. 6 July 2009. p. 36. ISBN 978-0253220790.
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