A nomad is a person who has no fixed home and moves from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living. Nomads can be divided into different categories based on their way of life:
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Hunter-gatherers: These are the oldest type of nomad. They move from place to place in search of food and resources.
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Pastoral nomads: These nomads raise large herds of animals and move to new areas when the animals have eaten all the food in one area. They usually stick to a specific area and choose one spot to live in for weeks or months. They set up portable, wood-framed houses called yurts.
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Peripatetic nomads: These nomads travel frequently and participate in businesses that move.
Nomads can travel by animal, canoe, on foot, or by motor vehicle. Most nomadic groups follow a fixed annual or seasonal pattern of movements and settlements. Nomads usually travel in groups of families, bands, or tribes based on kinship and marriage ties. The word "nomad" comes from the Greek word "nomás," which means "roaming, wandering, especially to find pasture".
