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

Geography

Background: The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections, including most recently in late 2006.

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: 27.88%
permanent crops: 0.44%
other: 71.68% (2005)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (2003)

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

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People

Population: 1,367,124 (July 2000 est.); 1,455,842 (July 2002 est.); 1,735,464 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 382,385/female 378,853)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 459,315/female 466,689)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 24,303/female 23,919) (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.2% (2000 est.); 3.09% (2002 est.); 2.724% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 42.28 births/1,000 population (2000 est.); 41.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.); 38.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.); 12.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.); 11.74 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.); 2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.); 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 79.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.); 76.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.); 68.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.95 years
male: 53.06 years
female: 56.9 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2008 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: 40.1%
male: 47.8%
female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

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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

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Economy

Economy - overview: The Gambia has no confirmed mineral or natural resource deposits 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 The Gambia. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans have been made public that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, on continued technical assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth in the construction sector.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.); $2.5 billion (2001 est.); $1.338 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - 4.2% (1999 est.); 5.7% (2001 est.); 7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,030 (1999 est.); $1,770 (2001 est.); $800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 32.8%
industry: 8.7%
services: 58.5% (2007 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer prices: 2.5% (1999 est.); ,4% (2001 est.); 3.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force: total: 400,000 (1986 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $160.4 million
expenditures: $165.7 million (2007 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.3% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production: 75 million kWh (1998); 75 million kWh (2000); 145 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - consumption: 70 million kWh (1998); 69.75 million kWh (2000); 134.9 million kWh (2005)

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); $147.7 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners: India 38.6%, UK 15.9%, Indonesia 7.9%, France 7%, Italy 4.6% (2006)

Imports:
total value: $201 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.); $200.3 million (f.o.b., 2001); $276 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
partners: China 25.2%, Senegal 11.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.1%, Brazil 6.6%, Netherlands 4.5%, UK 4% (2006)

Debt - external: $628.8 million (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $58.15 million (2005)

Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut

Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - 27.79 (2007), 28.066 (2006), 28.575 (2005), 30.03 (2004), 27.306 (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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Communications

Telephones: 22,000 (1998); 31,900 (2000); 52,900 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,485 (1998); 5,624 (2000); 404,300 (2006)

Telephone system: adequate; a packet switched data network is available; two mobile-cellular service providers
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 30 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

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)

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Transportation

Highways:
total: 3,742 km
paved: 723 km
unpaved: 3,019 km (2004)

Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2006)

Ports and harbors: Banjul

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2007)

Airports: 1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

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Military

Military branches: Office of the Chief of Defense: Gambian National Army (National Guard, GNA), Gambian Navy (GN) (2008)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 16-49: 379,668
females age 16-49: 384,438 (2008 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 230,202
females age 16-49: 244,480 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.5% (2006))

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