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.
Geography ::Gambia, The
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic coordinates:
13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 11,295 sq km
66
land:
10,000 sq km
water:
1,295 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 740 km
border countries:
Senegal 740 km
Coastline:
80 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
18 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
extent not specified
Climate:
Current Weather
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, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
People ::Gambia, The
Population:
1,824,158 (July 2010 est.)
47
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.4% (male 397,864/female 394,103)
15-64 years:
53.7% (male 486,140/female 493,868)
65 years and over:
2.9% (male 25,773/female 26,410) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 18 years
male:
17.9 years
female:
18.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.528% (2010 est.)
8
Birth rate:
37.31 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
2
Death rate:
12.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 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:
0.98 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 67.49 deaths/1,000 live births
3
male:
73.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
61.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.07 years
01
male:
52.32 years
female:
55.86 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.96 children born/woman (2010 est.)
5
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,200 (2007 est.)
11
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
600 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male:
7 years
female:
7 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2% of GDP (2004)
66
Government ::Gambia, The
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form:
The Gambia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Banjul
geographic coordinates:
13 27 N, 16 34 W
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Independence:
18 February 1965 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Constitution:
approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective 16 January 1997
Legal system:
based on a composite of
English common law, Islamic 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 18 October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996
he was chairman of the junta; Vice President Isatou 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 Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections:
president
elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election
last held on 22 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results:
Yahya
A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J.
JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%, Halifa SALLAH 6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National
Assembly (53 seats; 48 members elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by
the president; members to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 25 January 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 47, UDP 4, NADD 1, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Patriotic
Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH] (the
ruling party); Gambia People's Democratic Party or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ];
National Alliance for Democracy and Development or NADD [Halifa SALLAH];
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 [Halifa SALLAH];
United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Environment
Agency or NEA; West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or
WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia
other:
special needs group advocates; teachers and principals
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Embrima J. KUJABI
chancery:
Suite 600, 1424 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
[1] (202) 785-1379, 1399, 1425
FAX:
[1] (202) 785-1430
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barry L. WELLS
embassy:
Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
mailing address:
P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone:
[220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170
FAX:
[220] 439-2475
Flag description:
three equal horizontal
bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green; red stands for the
sun and the savannah, blue represents the Gambia River, and green
symbolizes forests and agriculture; the white stripes denote unity and
peace
Economy ::Gambia, The
Economy - overview:
The Gambia has sparse natural
resource deposits and a limited agricultural base, and relies in part on
remittances from workers overseas. About three-quarters of the
population depends on the agricultural sector for its livelihood.
Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts,
fish, and hides. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has
made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa, boosted
by government and private sector investments in eco-tourism and upscale
facilities. In the past few years, the Gambia's re-export trade -
traditionally a major segment of economic activity - has declined, but
its banking sector has grown rapidly. Unemployment and underemployment
rates remain high; economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and
multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, and on
continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.471 billion (2009 est.)
9
$2.365 billion (2008 est.)
$2.233 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$734.5 million (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2009 est.)
5.9% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,400 (2009 est.)
01
$1,400 (2008 est.)
$1,300 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.4%
industry:
14.3%
services:
55.3% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
777,100 (2007)
47
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 75%
industry:
19%
services:
6% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
India 36.7%, Japan 23%, Belgium 5.7%, China 5%, UK 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$285 million (2009 est.)
95
$309 million (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners:
China 21.6%, Senegal 12.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.7%, Brazil 6%, Netherlands 5.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$178 million (31 December 2009 est.)
49
$116.5 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$628.8 million (2003 est.)
55
Exchange rates:
dalasis (GMD) per US dollar - 27 (2009), 22.75 (2008), 27.79 (2007), 28.066 (2006), 28.575 (2005)
Communications ::Gambia, The
Telephones - main lines in use:
48,900 (2008)
64
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.166 million (2008)
40
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate microwave radio relay and open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially privatized in 2007
domestic:
combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity, aided by multiple
mobile-cellular providers, reached 70 per 100 persons in 2008
international:
country
code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a
landing station for the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea
fiber-optic cable is scheduled for completion in 2011; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (government-owned) (1997)
Internet country code:
.gm
Internet hosts:
895 (2009)
62
Internet users:
114,200 (2008)
48
Transportation ::Gambia, The
Airports:
1 (2009)
29
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 3,742 km
59
paved:
723 km
unpaved:
3,019 km (2004)
Waterways:
390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 5
32
by type:
passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Banjul
Military ::Gambia, The
Military branches:
Office of the Chief of Defense Staff: Gambian National Army (National Guard, GNA), Gambian Navy (GN) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 402,073
females age 16-49:
406,100 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 238,006
females age 16-49:
248,065 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 20,858
female:
20,762 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2009)
38
Transnational Issues ::Gambia, The
Disputes - international:
attempts to stem refugees,
cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by
separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from
conflicts in other west African states
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 5,955 (Sierra Leone) (2007)
