Mandinka, also known as Mandingo << man DIHNG goh >>, is the name of a group of west African people. The Mandinka are descendants of the founders of the powerful Mali Empire. Most of the 11/2 million Mandinka live in Mali, but many live in Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. The Malinke are an important Mandinka group. The Mandinka speak a language that belongs to the Mande language group.
During the 1200’s, Mande-speaking people lived in independent states in Africa. The largest and most famous Mandinka state, the Mali Empire, flourished from about 1240 to 1500. Its leaders converted to Islam, the religion of the Muslims, but few of the Mandinka people became Muslims. Today, many Mandinka still practice traditional African religions. Most of the rural people are farmers or cattle herders, though many city dwellers are traders or artists.
