The Wolof People of Senegal
The Wolof people are located on the Coast of Senegal. Their native language is Wolof and their population is approximately 2.5 million. The Wolof people have been around since the 12th or 13th century. After the defeat of the Empire of Ghana around the 11th century, the Wolof people migrated to the coast from Mali. The history of the Wolof has been saved through the griots who recited oral praise songs. The religion of the Wolof is predominately Muslim. This includes praying to Allah five times a day, volunteering and giving gifts to the needy, observance of Ramadan, and a trip to Mecca. Other beliefs of Wolof are that there are good and evil spirits. They believe that the evil spirits live in bushes and tall trees in the middle of the village and that amulets are capable of protecting them from the spirits. Historically, Wolof were ruled by several powerful men who were from high ranking lineages based on the length of time that they resided in the area. The high ranking people elected a supreme leader. Local chiefs were appointed by the leader and paid their allegiance to him by maintaining order in the hinterlands and collecting taxes and tributes. The Wolof can be divided into three classes: the freeborn, those b . . .
The men also present an interesting picture in their long, bright, loose boubous and skullcaps. Tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, and beans are also grown. The courtship begins with the offering of kola nuts to the parents of the bride-to-be by the suitor’s family. A typical Wolof village consists of several hundred people living in family compounds that are grouped around a central village square. One week later the “jour de linge” (laundry day) marks the end of the honeymoon. Rivalries may spring up between co-wives even though they are expected to treat one another like sisters. Abdoulaye Wade's PDS party received 23 seats, and the new Union party received 11 seats. It consists of a compound head, his wives, and their children. The country has a wide variety of wildlife scattered across six different game parks. The area inhabited by Wolof varies greatly from north to south. However, great importance is still placed on marrying within the social group. The presidential elections were held in 1993 under the revised rules, and Diouf was re-elected for a seven-year term. In July, Wade resigned as leader of the opposition in July in order to run for president in the 2000 elections. Agricultural life which requires many hands to work in the fields and the home encouraged polygamy.
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