Religion in The Gambia
The Christian Faith
The Christian faith is mainly practiced in the western and southern parts of the Gambia, with Roman Catholicism being the predominant denomination.
In 2007, Protestant groups also existed within the Christian community.
Traditional Beliefs
A small number of Gambians adhere to traditional beliefs, primarily Roman Catholicism. There are also some adherents of traditional religions.
Islam
Sunni Islam
Islam is the primary religion in the Gambia, with 97% of the population (approximately 2 million people) identifying as Muslim.
Sunni Muslims, particularly those following the Malikite school of thought, constitute the majority of Muslims in the country.
Ahmadiyya Islam
There is also a significant population of Ahmadiyya Muslims in the Gambia.
Practices
While Gambian Muslims generally adhere to Sunni Islam, some tribal practices, such as maraboutism, are not compatible with orthodox Islamic beliefs.
History
The first Muslim communities arrived in the Gambia in the 11th century.
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