Sokone
Sokone is a town in the Fatick Region of central Senegal.
Sokone | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Bay at Sokone | |
  Sokone Location in Senegal | |
| Coordinates: 13°53′N 16°22′W | |
| Country |  Senegal |
| Region | Fatick Region |
| Department | Foundiougne |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 14,500 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Sokone is a tranquil town on the south-eastern Sine-Saloum Delta amid the mangroves. It is located on the N5 road from Kaolack to Banjul, 50 km south of Kaolack and 66 km north of Banjul. During the colonial period, the town was a peanut port and the old warehouses can still be seen around town along with a large number of peanut fields in the surrounding country side. Along with peanuts, millet, cashews, and many fruits and vegetables are grown. Agriculture and fishing continue to be the main economic activities in the area.
The main ethnic group in the area is the Sereer people, followed by the Wolof, Pulaars, and Mandinkas. The Wolof and Sereer languages are the most commonly heard languages, but many people in the town speak French as well.
In 2013, according to official estimates, Sokone had a population of some 14,500.[1]
History
As of the 20th century, the area where Sokone is located, specifically the extensive southwestern part of the Salum Delta, was densely populated. A process of migration from the Rip Region. The Wolofs were the main settlers in this region, and this process continued into the late 1970s, when the Wolofs were joined by different ethnic groups such as the Bambara, Fulani, Sereer and Sarakollés.[2]
References
- « Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat - décembre 2002 - Résultats provisoires », in Projections de population du Sénégal issues du recensement 2002, Direction de la Prévision et la Statistique, janvier 2004
- "Etude du Systeme Agraire de la Zone de Sokone dans le Bassin Arachider Senegalais" (PDF). Institut de recherche pour le développement (in French). 2000. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
