Annual report on the Gambia / Colonial Office.

Date:
[1949]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Gambia / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/60 (page 4)
    Chapter 1: Population The census of Bathurst in 1944 showed that the population had increased from 14,370 in 1931 to 21,152, of whom 274 only were non- Africans. It is significant that only half of the population was Bathurst born, and that as many as 5,169 persons had resided in Bathurst for less than five years. But although these figures can be in part attributed to the influx of foreigners and Protectorate persons attracted by the considerable wartime demand for labour, intercensal estimates compiled by the Health Department suggest that there has been no appreciable decrease in the population of Bathurst since the war. Over half the population of Bathurst in 1944 was Wollof, the re¬ mainder being composed mainly of Mandingo, Aku, Fula, Jola and Serere in fairly equal numbers. Fifteen thousand eight hundred and sixty-six were found to be Mohammedans, 4,995 Christians, and the remainder were shown as pagans. The population of Kombo St. Mary Division, which is part of the Colony, was 8,131 in 1946. The population of the Protectorate was estimated in 1949 to be 246,886, excluding “ strange farmers ” who numbered about 11,000. The tribal breakdown of the 1949 total was as follows : Aku .... 220 Bainunka .... 619 Bambarra 2,619 Fula-Firdu 22,097 Fula-Futa 6,208 Fula-Lorobo 7,626 Fula-Torodo (or Tukulor) . 18,469 Jola .... 15-764 Jombonko . 88 2 Mandingo 113,121 Manjagu .... 2,448 Mauretanian 469 Niumunka and Serere 4,020 Serahuli .... 18,663 Wollof .... 30,252 Yalunka .... 854 Others .... 2,555 246,886