Languages of the Gambia

In the Gambia, Mandingo is spoken as a first language by 38% of the population, Fula is spoken by 21.2%, Wolof / Serer by 18%, Jola by 4.5%. Several other languages are also spoken. Gambian Sign Language is used by the deaf.

English remains the main language used for official purposes and in education, but it may would face competition from Arabic.^[1][2]

In 2014, Gambian president Yahya Jammeh announced that The Gambia would drop English as the official language because it is a "colonial relic" in favour of Arabic.^[3] However, such change was not enacted until the present day.

References

1. "Gambie : Yahya Jammeh choisit l’arabe comme langue officielle" (in French). afrik.com. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
2. "Republic of the Gambia" (in French). Trésor de la langue française au Québec. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
3. "Gambia to drop English as 'colonial relic'", Al-Jazeera, 2014-03-13.