What language do they speak in Banjul?
What language do they speak in Banjul?
About 75% of the population of Banjul, the Gambia’s capital, uses Wolof as the first language. In Serekunde, the largest town in Gambia, 70% of the population speak and/or understand the language despite the small number of ethnic Wolof in the town. Like Mandingo and Fula, Wolof is not used in formal education.
What are the languages spoken in Gambia?
English
The Gambia/Official languages
English is the official language, but the most frequently spoken languages are generally of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. Mandinka and Wolof constitute the lingua francas of the country, and other languages spoken include Pulaar (Fulbe), Serer, Diola, and Soninke.
Do they speak Swahili in Gambia?
The Gambia is a former British Colony and the official language is English but there are also several tribal languages including Mandinka and Wolof.
What percentage of Gambia speaks English?
In The Gambia, Mandinka is spoken as a first language by 38% of the population, Pulaar by 21%, Wolof by 18%, Soninke by 9 per cent, Jola by 4.5 per cent, Serer by 2.4 per cent, Manjak and Bainouk by 1.6 per cent each, Portuguese Creole by 1 per cent, and English by 0.5 per cent.
Is French spoken in the Gambia?
Considering English is the official language, and most Gambians, or West Africans in general, speak more than one other African language, the number of French-speaking people in The Gambia seems even more remarkable.
Why do Gambians speak English?
As a former British colony, English is still taught in schools in The Gambia so many people will be able to speak at least some basic English, and fortunately the places where tourists are almost always likely to stay will have people who can speak English because of the country’s growing tourism industry.
Why is Gambia so poor?
Poverty in The Gambia is mainly caused by a lack of economic diversity. Over half of all Gambians depend on agriculture to bring money and food to the table, but harsh weather conditions leave their farming fates unpredictable. When rainfall is at it highest, the Gambia falls into a “hunger season.”
How many people speak English in the Gambia?
However, English is only spoken as a first language by about 1,000 Gambians while 40,000 people speak it as a second language. Given that the country has a population of about 1.9 million people, English is clearly overshadowed by the indigenous languages.
What is the official language of the Fula in Gambia?
It is the first language of the Fula people and spoken as a second language by the various people in Gambia. The Fula people refer to the language as Pular or Pulaar. The Fula language has no official recognition in the Gambia but it is recognized as one of the country’s major languages.
What is the history of Banjul in the Gambia?
The town became the centre of British activity in the Gambia Colony and Protectorate. After independence, the town’s name was changed to Banjul in 1973. On 22 July 1994, Banjul was the scene of a bloodless military coup d’état in which President Dawda Jawara was overthrown and replaced by Yahya Jammeh.
Where is Banjul located on a map?
Show map of Africa. Banjul, officially the City of Banjul and formerly known as Bathurst, is the capital of The Gambia and is in a division of the same name. Banjul is on St Mary’s Island (Banjul Island), where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean.
