The word teke means 'to sell'. The economy of the Teke is mainly based on farming maize, millet, tobacco, and bananas but the Teke are also hunters, skilled fishermen and traders. The Teke lived in an area across Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.
The word Teke means ‘to buy’ in the Bateke language, therefore the name of the Teke tribe is presumably derived from the fact that they were merchant traders dealing specifically in maize, millet and tobacco.
Teke is a major and politically influential tribe of Turkmens in Turkmenistan. The Oghuz forebears of the Teke migrated to Transoxiana in the 8th century. The tribe is called the Turka by explorer Alexander Burnes in his 1834 book Travels into Bokhara.
Teke Peninsula (Turkish: Teke Yarımadası), also known as Teke Region (Turkish: Teke Yöresi), is a peninsula located in southwestern Turkey between the gulfs of Antalya and Fethiye extending into the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the most common version of the legend, Teke Teke was once a woman who tragically lost her lower half in a train accident. In life, she was said to have been a victim of a cruel prank, an unfortunate fall, or, in some variations, someone who took her own life at a train station.
The Teke people lived on the plateaus of the region from early times. It is not known when they organized as a kingdom, but by 1600 their state was a rival of the Kongo kingdom south of the river.
The Teke are renowned for their artistic expressions, including intricate masks, vibrant music, and energetic dances that play a crucial role in cultural ceremonies.