Affinity Bloc: Sub-Saharan African

Overview: Mande refers to a large linguistic group in West Africa, also known as the Manding. The Manding languages are part of the larger Niger-Congo language family. Ethno-linguists divide the Mande into two large clusters, the Mande-tan and Mande-fu. The Mande-tan peoples are represented by the Malinke, Malinke-Bambara, and Malinke-Jula people cluster. The Mande-fu peoples are represented by the Mande people cluster. Major people groups included within this cluster are the Mende, Dan, Kpelle, Loko, Kono and Loma peoples. Ethno-religions are widely practiced among these people groups.

  -- James S. Olson, The Peoples of Africa. London: Greenwood Press (1996), pp. 366.

Peoples within this cluster: Bandi; Banta Mende; Bedik; Bobo Madare, Northern; Bobo Madare, Southern; Bokobaru; Busa-Bisa; Busa-Boko; Busansi; Dan; Dzuun; Guro; Kono, Konnoh; Kono, Kwono; Kpelle; Kpelle, Liberia; Kpessi; Ligbi; Loko; Loma; Mano; Mende; Mikifore; Mona; Ngan; Samo, Maya; Samo, Northern Samo; Samo, Southern; Samogho, Duun; Seemogo; Shanga; Toma; Tura; Tyenga; Vai; Wan; Yaure; Zialo

Countries where they are found: Benin; Burkina Faso; Cote d’Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo; United States