Wolof people

The people of the Wolof [ wɔlɔf ] is an ethnic group in Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania. Your native language is also called Wolof.

In Senegal, the Wolof are the ethnic majority of about 40 % (about 3.2 million people ) of the total population. Living in Senegal Wolof concentrate on the region from Dakar to Saint -Louis and west and south of Kaolack.

In Gambia, about 15 % of the population (about 200,000 people ) Wolof, but alone in the capital Banjul is every second a Wolof. Thus, although present in Banjul, the Wolof, the vast majority, they are against the people of the Mandinka, which represent about 40 % of the total Gambian national population, only a minority.

In the southern coastal region of Mauritania there is a minority of Wolof: You are in this country, with about seven percent of the population (about 185,000 people ) represented.

Particularly in Senegal and Banjul Wolof Because at the same time is the most important indigenous lingua franca, it is difficult in these regions, between the people who belong to the actual ethnicity of the Wolof, and to distinguish the people who have Wolof assumed to be quasi- native language. After all speak in Senegal about 80 % of the local Wolof, and among those who do not belong to the Wolof ethnic group, many speak the Wolof language perfectly as an " ethnic native speakers ".

In the older French-speaking literature one also finds the notation " Ouolof " instead of " Wolof ". In some English-language publications, especially those that relate to the Gambian Wolof, you can also find the spelling " Wollof " because this notation leads with native English speakers tend to the correct pronunciation of the word. In publications of the 19th century and before you can even the spellings " Volof " or " Olof " encounter. Very rarely occur even the spellings " Jolof ", " Jollof " and " Dyolof ". - The term " Wolof " is used both for the people and for their language and for things and circumstances of their culture and tradition.