The Gambia
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Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

The Gambia
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 11,300 sq km
land: 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km
Areacomparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 45% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years
Environmentcurrent issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographynote: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
People
Population: 1,291,858 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 296,108; female 295,136)
15-64 years: 52% (male 330,215; female 336,056)
65 years and over: 2% (male 18,194; female 16,149) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 43.3 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 12.93 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 77.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.91 years
male: 51.59 years
female: 56.29 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.91 children born/woman (1998 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%
male: 52.8%
female: 24.9% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia
Data code: GA
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
National capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North
Bank, Upper River, Western
note: it has been reported but not verified that the name of the MacCarthy
Island division has been changed to Central River
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); noteThe 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); notethe 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); notethe 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: percent of votePresident Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.5%, Ousinou DARBOE
35.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly; 49 seats (45 elected, 4 appointed by the
president)
elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyAPRC 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; National Reconciliation Party or NRP Hamat N. K. BAH;
People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS Sidia
JATTA; United Democratic Party or UDP Ousainou DARBOE; notein August
1996 the government banned the following from participation in the elections
of 1996: People's Progressive Party or PPP former President Dawda K. JAWARA
(in exile), and two opposition partiesthe National Convention Party or
NCP former vice president Sheriff DIBBA and the Gambian People's Party or
GPP Hassan Musa CAMARA
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, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Crispin GREY-JOHNSON
chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: 1 (202) 785-1399, 1379, 1425
FAX: 1 (202) 785-1430
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald Wesley SCOTT
embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul
mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone: 220 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971
FAX: 220 392475
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and
green
Economy
Economyoverview: 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 the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc
in January 1994 made Senegalese goods more competitive and hurt the reexport
trade. The Gambia has benefited from a rebound in tourism after its decline
in response to the military's takeover in July 1994. Short-run economic progress
remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid and on
responsible government economic management.
GDP: purchasing power parity$1.23 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 2.1% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$1,000 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 27%
industry: 15%
services: 58% (1993 est.)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 2.2% (1997)
Labor force:
total: NA
by occupation: agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government
6.1%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $88.6 million
expenditures: $98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural
machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricitycapacity: 29,000 kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 73 million kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 74 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels;
cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishing resources not fully exploited
Exports:
total value: $160 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products 70%, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners: Japan, Senegal, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, UK, Indonesia
Imports:
total value: $140 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport
equipment
partners: China, Cote d'Ivoire, Hong Kong, UK, Germany
Debtexternal: $426 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: bilateral $36.1 million; multilateral $34.7 million (1994)
Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$110.513 (December 1997), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996),
9.546 (1995), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July30 June
Communications
Telephones: 11,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire
international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite
earth station1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 180,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (government owned)
Televisions: NA
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
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 1 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, National Police, National Guard
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 286,847 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 144,547 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $1.2 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 3.8% (FY93/94)
Transnational Issues
Disputesinternational: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
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