The
Yalunka or
Jallonke ( or ) are a
Mande people who were one of the original inhabitants of the
Futa Jallon , a mountainous region in
Guinea,
West Africa. They are a branch of the
Mandinka people of
West Africa. Today, the Yalunka are concentrated mostly in Guinea and
Sierra Leone, while small communities also live in
Senegal and
Mali. In both Guinea and Sierra Leone, the Yalunka are typically classified as ethnic Mandinka because of the similarities in languages and culture, including dress.