Jufureh (also spelled Juffureh or Juffure) is a town in
the Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 c ...
, 30 kilometers inland on the north bank of the
River Gambia in the
North Bank Division
North Bank was one of the five administrative divisions of the Gambia. Its capital was Kerewan. It was subsequently reorganised as the Kerewan Local Government Area (LGA), without any change in the area covered.
Per 2013 census, the region had ...
near
James Island. The town is home to a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and th ...
and Fort Jillifree.
Jufureh is known for its appearance in
Alex Haley
Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book ''Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and a ...
's 1976 novel ''
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
''Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' is a 1976 novel written by Alex Haley. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent, sold into slavery in Africa, and transported to North America; it follows h ...
'', as the birthplace of Haley's ancestor
Kunta Kinte.
[
] After the publication of ''Roots'', Jufureh became a significant tourist destination. This led to economic benefits for the town, including the construction of an elementary school, a new market aimed at tourists, and improved roads.
[
]
In 1651 a small plot of land from the village was leased by
Jacob Kettler, the
Duke of Courland
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia ( la, Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; german: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; lv, Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; lt, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; pl, Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was ...
, from the king of
Kombo, as part of the
Couronian colonization of Africa.
At some point, Jufureh became part of the
Kingdo