Cultural Diversity
Despite its small size (10,000 sq. km) The Gambia is a diverse
multi-cultural society with many ethnic groups and where most people
are as a result multi-lingual. Indeed it is not uncommon to find
people being able to speak 3 to 4 local languages. Its size and the
tempering influence of Islam in the Gambia context may indeed explain why it has a reputation for
being a peaceful country as compared to that of other countries in
Africa there is a minimum of inter-tribal and racial frictions.
 Though Gambians themselves talk about belonging to this or
that tribe the reality is that with the arrival of the Mandingo,
Wollof, Fulbe, and other migrants into the river valley (circa
1200-1800) a lot of inter-marriage and adoption of other cultures and
practices has taken place between these different ethnic groups. This
has had the effect of blurring
what differentiates one group of society from another. Traditionally
children will take on the tribal identity of their father.
Culture & Traditions
Different ethnic groups do have variations in
the way they conduct
marriage weddings, funerals, however, it is
Islam which is the over-riding guide to such ceremonies. Indeed, those
that introduced the religion itself back in the 1800's,  just like
Christianity, recognised that some cultural practices had to be
tolerated as long as the principle of the one God was upheld.
Furthermore Christians have different local customs
regarding births, deaths and marriages. So from the above it would be
difficult to try to summarise what Gambian culture and tradition
actually is. It is more of a mosaic of cultures that very often
overlap and sometimes even merge or absorb other traditional practices
such as the some of the Tukulor in the
distant past. Furthermore,
historically small breakaway groups of a particular tribe has been
known to be absorbed by another due to war or voluntarily. The biggest
noticeable difference between people today is class.
Traditional Values
While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are
bringing more and more Gambians into contact with Western habits and
values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as
indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral to parts of
everyday life. Over 80 percent of Gambians live in rural villages,
although increasing numbers of young people come to the capital, Banjul, in
search of work and education which has further led to the greater
cultural and blood mixing of people.
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