The Mandinka language (Mandi'nka kango), or Manding, is a Mandé language spoken by the Mandinka people of the Casamance region of Senegal, the Gambia, and northern Guinea-Bissau. It is the principal language of the Gambia. Mandinka belongs to the Manding branch of Mandé, and is thus similar to Bambara and Maninka/Malinké.