Background
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ Geography ] [ People ] [ Government ] [ Economy ] [ Communications ] [ Transportation ] [ Military ]

Geography

Background: The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned political activity, but a new 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, have completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The Gambia recently emerged from its isolation to accept a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council during 1998-99.

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W

Area:
total: 11,300 sq km
land : 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: 740 km
border countries: Senegal 740 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf : not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use:
arable land: 18% , 19.5%
permanent crops : 0% , 0.5%
other: 45% (1993 est.) , 80% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1993 est.) , 20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years

Environment - current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

BACK TO TOP ^

People

Population: 1,367,124 (July 2000 est.), 1,455,842 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 311,293; female 308,570) , 45.1% (male 329,530; female 326,627)
15-64 years: 52% (male 352,765; female 358,258), 52.3% (male 377,357; female 383,548)
65 years and over: 3% (male 19,099; female 17,139) (2000 est.) , 2.6% (male 20,237; female 18,543) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.2% (2000 est.) , 3.09% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 42.28 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) , 41.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) , 12.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) , 2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female , 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female , 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female , 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female ,1.09 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) , 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 79.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) , 76.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.2 years, 53.98 years
male : 51.29 years , 52.02 years
female: 55.16 years (2000 est.) ,56.01 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.76 children born/woman (2000 est.) , 5.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%

Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.6% , 47.5%
male : 52.8% , 58.4%
female: 24.9% (1995 est.) , 37.1% (2001 est.)

BACK TO TOP ^

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form : The Gambia

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Banjul

Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, Central River, North Bank, Upper River, Western

Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); note - The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution: 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in January 1997

Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 12 October 1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the president
elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term; the number of terms is not restricted; election last held 26 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH elected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.8%, Ousainou DARBOE 35.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (49 seats; 45 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held 2002)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 33, UDP 7, NRP 2, PDOIS 1, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA] note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned since 1996

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green

BACK TO TOP ^

Economy

Economy - overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from Banjul. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts; the following two marketing seasons have seen substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism in 2000 has also held back growth. Unemployment and underemployment rates are extremely high. Shortrun economic progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management as forwarded by IMF technical help and advice, and on expected growth in the construction sector. Record crops undergirded sturdy growth in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.) , $2.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - 4.2% (1999 est.) , 5.7% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,030 (1999 est.) , $1,770 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23% , 21%
industry: 13% , 12%
services: 64% (1993 est.) , 67% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer prices: 2.5% (1999 est.) ,4% (2001 est.)

Labor force: total: 400,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget:
revenues: $88.6 million , $90.5 million
expenditures: $98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.) , $80.9 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2001 est.)

Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 75 million kWh (1998) , 75 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998) - 0% (2000)

Electricity - consumption: 70 million kWh (1998) , 69.75 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishing resources not fully exploited

Exports:
total value : $132 million (f.o.b., 1998) , $139.2 million (f.o.b., 2001)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners: Benelux 78%, Japan, UK, Hong Kong, France, Spain (1997) , Benelux 26%, Japan 15%, UK 14%, Brazil 7% (2000)

Imports:
total value: $201 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.) , $200.3 million (f.o.b., 2001)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
partners: Hong Kong, UK, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, France, Senegal, Belgium (1997) , China (including Hong Kong) 18%, UK 10%, Netherlands 8%, France 6%, Brazil 6% (2000)

Debt - external: $430 million (1997 est.) , $440 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: $45.4 million (1995)

Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut

Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1 - 11.626 (November 1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996), 9.546 (1995)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

BACK TO TOP ^

Communications

Telephones: 22,000 (1998) , 31,900 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,485 (1998) , 5,624 (2000)

Telephone system: domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire
international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998), AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios: 196,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (government-owned) (1997)

Televisions: 4,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999), 2 (2001)

BACK TO TOP ^

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,700 km
paved: 956 km
unpaved : 1,744 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 400 km

Ports and harbors: Banjul

Airports: 1 (1999 est.) , 1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

BACK TO TOP ^

Military

Military branches: Army (includes marine unit), National Police, National Guard

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 306,359 (2000 est.) , 327,677 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
les: 154,432 (2000 est.) , 165,249 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $14 million (FY93/94), $1 million (FY96/97) , $1.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY96/97) , 0.3% (FY01)

BACK TO TOP ^