Editing Wolof language (section)

==Geographical distribution==
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[[File:Wolof Empire.jpg|thumb|States of the Wolof Empire]]

Wolof is spoken by 18 million people and about 40% (8.2 million people) of Senegal's population speak Wolof as their native language.<ref name=e28></ref><ref name="brochure"></ref> Increased mobility, and especially the growth of the capital Dakar, created the need for a common language: today, an additional 40 percent of the population speak Wolof as a second or acquired [[language]]. In the whole region from [[Dakar]] to [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]], and also west and southwest of [[Kaolack]], Wolof is spoken by the vast majority of people. Typically when various ethnic groups in Senegal come together in cities and towns, they speak Wolof. It is therefore spoken in almost every regional and departmental capital in Senegal. Nevertheless, the official language of Senegal is [[French language|French]].

In [[The Gambia]], although about 20–25 percent of the population speak Wolof as a first language, it has a disproportionate influence because of its prevalence in [[Banjul]], the Gambian capital, where 75 percent of the population use it as a first language. Furthermore, in [[Serekunda]], The Gambia's largest town, although only a tiny minority are ethnic Wolofs, approximately 70 percent of the population speaks or understands Wolof.

In [[Mauritania]], about seven percent of the population (approximately 185,000 people) speak Wolof. Most live near or along the Senegal River that Mauritania shares with Senegal.