Mandé peoples
 |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| about 40 million (2016) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| West Africa | |
| Languages | |
| Mande languages | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam; Traditional religions | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bambara, Bissa, Busa, Dan, Dyula, Kpelle, Ligbi, Landogo, Mandinka, Marka, Mende, Soninke, Susu, Vai, Yalunka, many others |
Mandé or Manden is a family of ethnic groups in West Africa who speak any of the many related Mande languages of the region. Various Mandé groups are found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The Mandé languages belong to a divergent branch of the Niger–Congo family, and are divided into two primary groups: East Mandé and West Mandé.
The Mandinka (also known as Malinke), a branch of the Mandé, are credited with the founding of the largest ancient West African empires. Other numerous Mandé groups include the Soninke, Bambara, and Dyula. Smaller groups include the Ligbi, Vai, and Bissa.
Mande people inhabit various environments, from coastal rainforests to the sparse Sahel and Sahara. They have a wide range of cultures and beliefs, and are organized by language groups.
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