The Wolof, also spelled Ouolof, are a Muslim people found in Senegal and The Gambia, their language is the West Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family.

The typical rural community is small (about 100 persons).

Most Wolof are farmers, growing groundnuts (peanuts) as a cash crop and millet and sorghum as staples; many, however, live and work in Dakar and Banjul as traders, goldsmiths, tailors, carpenters, teachers, and civil servants.

Traditional groups were characterised by a markedly hierarchical social stratification, including royalty, an aristocracy, a warrior class, commoners, slaves, and members of despised artisan castes; at their head was a paramount chief.

The Wolof traditionally observed double descent; i.e., descent has been traced through both the male and female lines.

Islamic influence, however, has tended to make the male line dominant. A household unit may consist of a nuclear family (husband, wife, and minor children) or a polygynous family (a husband, his several wives, and their children); other close kin may, however, sometimes be found together with the nuclear family.

Wolof women are renowned for their elaborate hair styles, abundant gold ornaments, and full and flowing dresses.