The Wolof People

People Name: Wolof

Primary Language: Wolof

Primary Religion: Sufi Islam/ATR expressed in the Mouride and Tijani brotherhoods.

Location: Of the 3.1 million Wolof in the world, nearly 2.8 million live in the Senegambia region of West Africa. They are most densely concentrated from the Senegal River in the north to the river Gambia in the south. They form nearly 31% of the total population of Senegal, and 15% of the population of The Gambia.

Population (estimate)

Total Wolof . . . . . . . . . 3,100,000
In Senegal . . . . . . . . . .2,800,000
In The Gambia . . . . . . . . 161,000
In Mali . . . . . . . . . . . 43,000
In Cote d'Ivoire . . . . . . 36,000
In New York City . . . . . 15,000(?)
In France . . . . . . . . . . 10,000

Adult Literacy . . . . . . 20%
(Of this literacy rate, 12% is in French and 8% is in Arabic and other languages.)