Tembuland

Thembuland
Natural region
Landscape in Thembuland near Ngcobo
Old map of the Eastern Cape, showing Thembuland (highlighted)
Country	South Africa
Elevation	600 m (2,000 ft)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Thembuland, Afrikaans: Temboeland, is a natural region in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Its territory is the traditional region of the Thembu people, one of the sub-groups of the Xhosa nation.

It was formerly also known as "Tamboekieland" or "Tambookieland". The area of Thembuland proper includes present-day Mthatha, Mqanduli, Ngcobo, Mjanyana, Dutywa and Willowvale as well as their surroundings.

Thembuland was historically defined as the area between Umtata and the upper Kei River. As such it formed an area of 50 by 120 miles, although its boundary was considered disputable with Pondoland on the coast, and with Fingoland just to the south. The definition of the area has also changed over time.

Before colonial conquest, it was divided into Tembuland Proper, Emigrant Tembuland and Bomvanaland —the Bomvana were a related people who lived on the east bank of the Bashee River, in what was later the district of Elliotdale. In colonial times it was defined as consisting of the districts of Emjanyana, Engcobo, Mqanduli, Umtata, St Marks, Southeyville and Xalanga.

The hunter-gatherer San and Khoikhoi people inhabited the region in scattered nomadic groups from c. 30,000 BCE. In the 16th century, iron-working Nguni farmers entered the area from the north-east. A sub-group of the Nguni peoples became the Thembu people. Although originally classed as a separate Nguni nation, the Thembu subsequently assimilated to a large degree with the neighbouring Xhosa people.