Photo by Kwaku Griffin

Sparrows of Senegambia by Charles Sampson is a beautiful book about the countries of Senegal and The Gambia: a great place filled with wonderful peoples and ethnic groups.

Senegambia is the historical name for the area in West Africa that spreads between the Gambia and Senegal rivers, although some say that the name encompasses a broader region that also includes the modern country of Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and the Gambia, and parts of Mauritania, Mali, and Guinea. 

The Extent of Senegambia

The classical region of Senegambia lies within the tropical zone and is situated between the Sahel, the thick woodland of Guinea, and two rich rivers, creating a beautiful and abundant geography filled with pleasing vistas and sights and remarkable fauna and flora. Historically, Senegambia has been regarded as a sojourn before reaching Sudan, making it a significant center for West African politics, largely due to being the origin of the regional hegemonies of the Ghana Empire, Mali, and Songhai.

In his book about the countries of Senegal and The Gambia, Sparrows of Senegambia, Charles Sampson remembers the beauty that he saw throughout his journeys in Senegal and The Gambia. It was actually traveling to the island of , a major slave port in the past, that opened his eyes to the significance of Senegambia.

The Ethnic Groups of Senegambia

As a major and significant area, several ethnic groups can be found in Senegambia. While the region boasts an abundance of natural wealth, from its geography to the climate to the ecology, one of its greatest treasures is its people.

Senegambia is home to plenty of rich and diverse people groups, each with their own distinctive cultures yet still interrelated and interconnected with each other, given their common origins in Senegambia.

The Wolof are an ethnic group in northern Senegal, the Gambia, and parts of Mauritania. It is in Senegal that they make up the majority of the Senegalese population, while in other locations, they are minority groups. Historically, like their neighbors in the region, the Wolof had a strict caste system of nobles, priests, freemen, and slaves. During the colonial era, the Wolof had close relationships with the French colonists, becoming deeply mingled with colonial infrastructure, which contributed to their dominance in the Senegalese economy and culture after attaining independence.

The Fula are widely distributed across several countries in North and West Africa, even being found in the northern areas of Central Africa and reaching the Red Sea. An estimated third of the Fulani are nomadic pastoralists, making the largest community of this kind in the world. They are mostly Muslim in faith, but in recent years, there has been an increase in Christian conversions, particularly in Nigeria.

The Tukulor are native to Futa Tooro in Senegal. Smaller communes can be found in neighboring Mali and Mauritania. During the 11th century, after successive waves of Islamization, the Tukulor as a people group became the first Muslims in the region, which explains their robust Islamic heritage that they take great pride in. 

The Mandinka are a people group that live across Mali, The Gambia, and Guinea. Reaching up to 11 million, they are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. They are primarily farmers living in rural villages. 

The Serer people are the third largest ethnic group in Senegal. Originally, they settled in the Senegal River valley delta on the border between Senegal and Mauritania. Due to external pressures, they were forced to move southerly, becoming a mix of sedentary and settled groups widely known for their farming and livestock raising.

The Soninke people are scattered densely across West Africa. They were the founders of the long-lasting empire of Ghana, which helped them to spread all over West Africa.