A variety of ethnic groups live in the Gambia, each preserving its own language and traditions, even if it has a population of only 1.8 million (2013). The Mandinka ethnicity is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, Serahule, Serers, Manjago and the Bianunkas. The Krio people, locally known as Akus, constitute one of the smallest ethnic minorities in country. They are descendants of the Sierra Leone Creole people and have been traditionally concentrated in the capital. The traditional kind of clothing for Gambian women and men tends to be long and free flowing clothes. For women they tend to wear clothes down to their feet as well as up to their wrists. This is called a grandmuba which comes with an under garment called a malan which is a couple of metres of cloth which is wrapped around the waist as an underskirt.
Read more »