For its predecessor, see Allen Meagher, Andrew Samuel, Baba Ceesay, National Council for the Arts and Culture (Gambia), NYU Center on International Cooperation (28 February 2012) All Rights Reserved. The Gambia's largest city is Serekunda, which has a city population of 350,000.There are many ethnic groups in the Gambia. As well as being victims of slave takers, some Mandinkas carried on extensive trade in slaves. They have common ancestors with the Serers. The largest is the Mandinka (42%), followed by the Fula (18%), Wolof (16%), Jola (10%), Serers, Serahule, and the Bianunkas. Francis Moore (who wrote Travels into the inland parts of Africa London, 1738) visited a certain town where the Fulas, claiming that their cattle had been stolen, attacked and destroyed the nearby Mandinka community, selling its inhabitants into slavery.In the mid 19th century economic factors forced more bands of Fulas into Gambia searching for pasture for their animals. They can also appoint five members of the National Assembly, the judges of the superior courts, regional governors, and district chiefs.
Even though they are found in various states in West Africa, the Mandinko people are not the biggest ethnic group in most of these countries. Gambia is currently undergoing a major period of change following the ousting of the country’s longstanding ruler, President Yahya Jammeh, in 2017.Jammeh, an ethnic Jola, came to power in 1994 following a military coup and was subsequently elected to office in 1996 – an outcome confirmed in every subsequent election for the next 20 years. There are about 3,500 non-Africans living in the country, including families of Lebanese origin (0.23%) and Europeans. They lived in small, independent communities recognizing no central authority.
Under the leadership of Alpha Molloh and his son Musa Molloh, the Fula warriors overran Mandinka states and founded the state of Fulladu.There are many sub-groups of Fulas based on different places of origin and modes of making a living. The capital city of The Gambia is Banjul while the largest cities in the country are Brikama and Serekunda. Some Fulas were pastoralists who kept cattle and sheep and wandered across the grasslands of the Western Sudan. Inhabited by numerous ethnic groups and a part of various West African kingdoms before its colonization, Gambia was fused together with present-day Senegal to form Senegambia, the first British colony in Africa. The office of Prime Minister was abolished in 1970. Nearly 30% of the Gambia's population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 USD per day. The Jolas were themselves often victims of slave takers and were particularly subjugated by the Mandinkas.Once the Mali empire had been established in the 13th century, Mande speaking peoples began to expand its boundaries. Another sub-group, the Fulbe Futa, formed warrior bands and preyed upon other Fula groups and Mandinka communities.Amongst the earliest people in the Senegambia region were the Jolas, who had migrated from Egypt. There are many ethnic groups in the Gambia. There are over 38 million Fula people on Earth. Lack of resources and educational infrastructure has made implementation of this difficult.Virtually all commercial life in the Gambia comes to a standstill during major Muslim holidays, including The Christian community represents about 4% of the population.Owing to a small number of immigrants from South Asia, Although the Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, its culture is the product of very diverse influences. The Wolof ethnic group (or Jollof, Jolof as they are sometimes known) in Gambia make up 16% of the population and are the third largest ethnic group.They are to be found in fairly large numbers in the areas of Jokadu, Baddibu, Saloum and Niumi but the vast majority are to be found in Senegal. The Krio people are one of the smallest ethnicities in the country. Ethnic Groups of The Gambia There are 9 main ethnic groups in Gambia living side by side with a minimum of inter-tribal friction, each preserving its own language, music, cultural traditions and even cast systems though there is an increasing amount of cultural interaction and fusion. The Akus, also known as Krio, is one of the smallest Gambian ethnic group. The Fula people can be found in northern parts of Central Africa, West Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan. There are no term limits.The Gambia followed a formal policy of non-alignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure.
The Gambian Aku community is an extension of the Creoles from the Freetown community, and they have roots in England, North America, West Indies, and numerous African communities. The Jola community is a West African ethnic group found in The Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau.
THE GAMBIA has a number of ethnic groups or tribes which collectively constitute the Gambian nation. Some of the main ethnic groups in The Gambia include:The Mandinka community, also known as Malinke or Mandinko, is a West African ethnic group with an estimated population of about 32 million.
Pages in category "Ethnic groups in the Gambia" The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. Ethnic groups. Now a days many are farmers living along the eastern Gambian border, but remain famous for their gold and silver trading activities.The Serers are among the oldest ethnic group in the Senegambia region, having migrated into the delta regions from the north of Senegal. The Krio people account for over 2% of the country's population. During Jammeh's rule, the opposition was again fragmented.
Wollof, Peul, Serere, Mandinka, Jola and Sarahuli are spoken and understood in all parts of The Gambia and Senegal; indeed there is no region or area in either The Gambia or Senegal exclusively inhabited by one ethnic group as is often the case in many other countries in our continent and elsewhere with all the too familiar negative implications.