The Karo Tribe has a distant relation to the Hamar tribe, but it is one of Africa’s smallest tribes. There are between 1,500 and 2,000 people in the tribe today. Severe drought and disease epidemics in the 1900’s drastically reduced their numbers. The Karo people make their home in south Ethiopia along the banks of the Omo River. Their round straw and thatched huts cluster around a central area. The dwelling for the family is called an “Ono”. Here they eat and sleep. In addition, each family has another hut or area called a “Guppa” which is where everyday household tasks are carried out. The Karo are farmers primarily raising corn, sorghum and beans. Their diet is supplemented by fishing in the Omo River. Goats and cattle are important, but dwindling grazing grounds limit herding. Much of the land is being absorbed into large scale farming complexes by corporate interests. This is making large tracts of land unavailable to the native people. One thing unique to the Karo tribe is that it is one of only a few tribes who use white chalk to decorate their faces and their bodies. The designs they use in this body art are very distinctive and detailed.