Jufureh
Encyclopedia
Jufureh, Juffureh or Juffure is a town in The Gambia
, located 30 kilometers inland on the north bank of the River Gambia in the North Bank Division
near James Island
. The town is home to a museum
and Fort Jillifree.
Jufureh is best known for its appearance in Alex Haley
's 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family
. A family claiming to be the descendants of Kunta Kinte
still resides here.
In 1651 a small plot of land from the village was leased by the Duke of Courland from the king of Kombo
, as part of Courland colonization
.
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
, located 30 kilometers inland on the north bank of the River Gambia in the North Bank Division
North Bank Division
North Bank is one of the five administrative divisions of The Gambia. Its capital is Kerewan.-Districts:North Bank is divided into 6 districts:*Central Baddibu*Jokadu*Lower Baddibu*Lower Niumi*Upper Baddibu*Upper Niumi-See also:...
near James Island
James Island (The Gambia)
James Island is an island in the Gambia River, 30 km from the river mouth and near Juffureh in the country of The Gambia. On 6 February 2011 it was renamed Kunta Kinteh Island to give the Island a Gambian name. Fort James is located on the island...
. The town is home to a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and Fort Jillifree.
Jufureh is best known for its appearance in Alex Haley
Alex Haley
Alexander Murray Palmer Haley was an African-American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the coauthor of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.-Early life:...
's 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Roots: The Saga of an American Family is a novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his descendants in the U.S....
. A family claiming to be the descendants of Kunta Kinte
Kunta Kinte
Kunta Kinte is the central character of the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family by American author Alex Haley, and of the television miniseries Roots, based on the book. Haley described his book as faction - a mixture of fact and fiction...
still resides here.
In 1651 a small plot of land from the village was leased by the Duke of Courland from the king of Kombo
Kombo
Kombo was a territory and kingdom in Gambia during the colonial period. In 1840 the King of Kombo was Suling Jatta.See also: Kombo...
, as part of Courland colonization
Courland colonization
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, being small but wealthy took a modest part in European colonialism, in West Africa and the Caribbean.- History :...
.