The Toucouleur People

of West Africa

Some People group Statistics

People Name: Toucouleur

Language: Pulaar Futa Toro Dialect

Alternate names: Tukolor / Tukulor; Pular / Pulaar;

Haalpulaaren (Haalde = "to speak"); Futanke (single.); Futankoobe (plural.); Tooroodo (single.) Tooroobe (plural.)

Primary Religion: 100% Sunni Islam / Folk Islam. Members of the Tidjian Brotherhood in Senegal

ROPAL Code: TOU00

Ethnologue Code: TOU

Marc Code: ID 1137/136

Total Toucouleur Population: 1 675 000 (1988, Ethnologue)

* In Mauritania: 80 000

* In Senegal: 700 000 (9% of pop.) Senegal River Valley approx. 132 000 (Gov.. estimates 1996)

* In Mali: 35 000

* In Gambia: 59 000

* Some in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso and other West African countries as well as numbers of expatriates in Europe (130 000?). [Unconfirmed figures - 20 000 in France.]

 

Urbanisation:

(Guessed to be around 40%. No clear figures exist to date.)

Development Index:

(0=None; 1=Poor; 2=Fair; 3=Adequate; U=Unknown)

	* Health care 1-2	* Good water 0-1
	* Education 2-3	* Telephone 2
	* Electricity 1-2	* Shelter 2-3
	* Balanced Diet 2-3	* Transportation 1-2
	* Radio 3	* Law and Justice 0-1

Average life expectancy: 46 yr. (1989)

Occupations: Tradesmen, Fisherman, and Farmers - both field-crops and cattle.

Products & Income Sources: Field crops, livestock and agricultural produce and fish.

Trade Partners: Neighbouring peoples.

Basic Diet: Meat, vegetables, rice, millet, beans, peanuts, fruit, yams, milk, etc.

Clothing:

Men - Generally large long flowing mantels known as ‘3 piece Booboos’ with turbans or Islamic style ‘Fez’ skullcaps.

Women - Generally large long flowing dresses and wrap-around skirts also called Booboos and wrap around scarves as head-dress (worn in turban style.)

Shelter: Thatched mud dwellings in more traditional settings, else houses made of cement bricks with zinc roofs.

Recreation: Socialising, dancing, music and telling of stories.

Art Forms: Dancing, music, poetry and writing.

Festivals: Common Muslim holidays

Status of Christianity:

Christian (All - %): 0%

True Believers (%): 0 %

True Believers (#): +/- 20

Congregations (#): +/- 4

Missionaries to (#): +/- 20 in Senegal

Scriptures Available: NT in Pulaar and a few OT Portions

Christian Radio: From local Senegalese FM stations.

Recordings available: Yes, through Gospel Recordings and WEC.

Attitude to Christianity: Ignorant

	Resistance/Receptivity:	-5 ( -4 -3 -2 ) -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
		Resistant / Indifferent / Receptive

Groups amongst: There are a few groups working in Senegal, Mali and the Gambia as well as other West African countries.

Current Ministries to: A wide range of ‘Great Commission' Ministries are currently being employed in West Africa to reach the Pulaar speaking people. There is however an urgent need for more workers among Pulaar speakers in general, and the Toucouleur specifically.

Some country data: (Taken from Operation World '93 Edit. unless differently indicated)

Ýndex

] Home [