The Languages

 

As in most other former British colonies, the official language of the Gambia in terms of business transactions or office procedures is the imported English language. It has unfortunately also become an instant yardstick for measuring “literacy”. Within the tourist areas, a surprising number of Gambian boys and a few women often display their fluency or partial fluency in German, Dutch and one or two other European languages. That could be one of the upsides of a vibrant and enterprising Tourism Industry.

Well, Wolof is the most spoken African language in the business areas. Mandinka [that is the language of the biggest tribe living in The Gambia ] is mainly spoken in the country side where farming is done. It is not clear if Fula or Jola is the next most spoken language in the country. The opinions are different concerning this point. Anyhow, the last official count showed that the Fula tribe constitute 20% of the Gambia population and the Jola tribe 18%. In the business areas of the country people speak different languages because each tribe takes pride in their Language and mostly use their language when conversing with each other. In addition addition to whatever their language is, most Gambians also speak Wolof or/and English.