Wolof

Africahorticulturalists
Map
expand_more Description

The Wolof constitute a large ethnic group inhabiting the West African countries of Senegal and Gambia. "Wolof" is a self-ascribed name for the people and their language. Concentrated between the Senegal and Gambia rivers, the Wolof have their origins in a 14th century political federation known as the Dyolof Empire. They were subjugated by the French at the end of the 19th Century and gained their independence under the new state of Senegal in 1960. The basic subsistence crop is millet and the main cash crop is peanuts. A relatively rigid, complex socio-political system consists of a series of hierarchically ranked kin groups.

Identifier
Region
  • Africa
Subregion
  • Western Africa
Subsistence Type
  • horticulturalists
Samples
Countries
  • Gambia, The
  • Senegal
External Links