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 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early 2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has been elected president in all subsequent elections.

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

13 28 N, 16 34 W

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

total: 740 km
border countries: Senegal 740 km

80 km

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

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

flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

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

fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay, petroleum

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

20 sq km (2003)

drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)

deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

1,641,564 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 44.3% (male 365,157/female 361,821)
15-64 years: 53% (male 431,627/female 438,159)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 22,889/female 21,911) (2006 est.)

total: 17.7 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.8 years (2006 est.)

2.84% (2006 est.)

39.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

1.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 54.14 years
male: 52.3 years
female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)

5.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

1.2% (2003 est.)

6,800 (2003 est.)

600 (2003 est.)

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

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

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

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

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.1%
male: 47.8%
female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

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

republic

Banjul

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

18 February 1965 (from UK)

Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

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

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

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held February 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,

Supreme Court

The Gambia has no significant 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 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.

$2.946 billion (2005 est.)

$426.6 million (2005 est.)

5.5% (2005 est.)

$1,800 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 35.5%
industry: 12.2%
services: 52.3% (2005 est.)

400,000 (1996)

agriculture: 75%
industry: 19%
services: 6%

8.8% (2005 est.)

25.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

revenues: $46.63 million
expenditures: $62.66 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2005 est.)

rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats

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

140 million kWh (2003)

130.2 million kWh (2003)

2,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

-$20.54 million (2005 est.)

$140.3 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports

India 23.7%, UK 15.2%, France 14.3%, Germany 9.6%, Italy 8.3%, Thailand 5.9%, Malaysia 4.1% (2004)

$197 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

China 23.9%, Senegal 11.6%, Brazil 5.9%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.6%, US 4.4% (2004)

$81.55 million (2005 est.)

$628.8 million (2003 est.)

$59.8 million (2003)

dalasi (GMD)

calendar year

38,400 (2002)

175,000 (2004)

general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)

1 (government-owned) (1997)

.gm

13 (2005)

49,000 (2005)

1 (2005)

total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

total: 3,742 km
paved: 723 km
unpaved: 3,019 km (2003)

390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2004)

total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,976 GRT/10,978 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2005)

Banjul

Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Presidential Guard, National Guard

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