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The Gambia
*** Shopping-Tip: The Gambia
:''This article is about the country in Africa. For other uses, see
Gambia (disambiguation).''
{{Infobox_Country
|native_name = Republic of The Gambia
|common_name = The Gambia
|image_flag = Flag of The Gambia.svg
|image_coat = gambiaarms21.PNG
|image_map = LocationGambia.png
|national_motto = Progress, Peace, Prosperity
|national_anthem =
For The Gambia Our Homeland
|official_languages =
English language English
|capital =
Banjul
|latd=13 |latm=28 |latNS=N |longd=16 |longm=36 |longEW=W
|largest_city =
Serrekunda
|government_type = Republic
|leader_titles =
List of Presidents of The Gambia President
|leader_names =
Yahya Jammeh
|area_rank = 158th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|area= 10,380
|areami²= 4,007
|percent_water = 11.5
|population_estimate = 1,593,256
|population_estimate_rank = 150th
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density = 153.5
|population_densitymi² = 397.6
|population_density_rank = 52nd
|GDP_PPP = $3.094 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 171st
|GDP_PPP_year= 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $1,900
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 186th
|sovereignty_type =
Independence
|established_events = From
United Kingdom UK
|established_dates =
February 18 1965
|HDI = 0.470
|HDI_rank = 155th
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category =
low
|currency =
Dalasi
|currency_code = D
|country_code =
|time_zone =
GMT
|utc_offset =
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld =
.gm
|calling_code = 220
|footnotes =
}}
The '''Republic of The Gambia''' is a
country in
West Africa. It is the smallest country on the
African continent and is bordered to the north, east, and south by
Senegal, and the
Atlantic Ocean in the west. The
River Gambia flows through the centre of the country and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. In
1965, The Gambia became independent from the
British Empire.
Banjul is its capital.
History
''Main article:
History of The Gambia''
The Gambia was once part of the
Empire of Ghana and the
Songhai Empire. The first written accounts of the region come from records of Arab traders in the
9th century 9th and
10th century 10th centuries A.D. Arab traders established the trans-Saharan trade route for
slaves,
gold, and
ivory. In the
15th century, the
Portugal Portuguese took over this trade using maritime routes. At that time, The Gambia was part of the
Mali Empire.
In
1588, the claimant to the
List of Portuguese monarchs Portuguese throne,
Antonio, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on the
Gambia River to English merchants; this grant was confirmed by letters patent from
Queen Elizabeth I. In
1618,
King James I granted a charter to a British company for trade with The Gambia and the
Gold Coast (British colony) Gold Coast (now
Ghana). Between
1651 and
1661 part of Gambia was (indirectly) a colony of
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; it was purchased by the
Duchy of Courland Courlandish prince
Jakub Kettler. At that time
Courland, in modern-day
Latvia, was a fiefdom of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Courlanders settled on
James Island (The Gambia) James Island. They called it St. Andrews Island and used it as a trade base from 1651 until it was captured by the English in 1661.
Image:James Island and Fort Gambia.jpg thumb|left|A map of Fort Gambia
During the late 17th century and throughout the 18th, England and France struggled continuously for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal and Gambia Rivers. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles gave Great Britain possession of The Gambia, but the French retained a tiny enclave at Albreda on the north bank of the river that was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1857.
As many as 3 million slaves may have been taken from the region during the three centuries that the transatlantic slave trade operated. In 1807, slave trading was abolished throughout the British Empire, and the British tried unsuccessfully to end the slave traffic in The Gambia. They established the military post of Bathurst (now Banjul) in 1816. In the ensuing years, Banjul was at times under the jurisdiction of the British governor general in Sierra Leone. In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colonial entity. In 1889, it became a crown colony.
Image:Stamp Gambia 1880 0.5p.jpg thumb|100px|An 1880 stamp from The Gambia
After
World War II, the pace of constitutional reform quickened. Following general elections in
1962, full internal self-government was granted in
1963. The Gambia achieved independence on
February 18,
1965, as a
constitutional monarchy within the
Commonwealth of Nations. On
April 24,
1970, The Gambia became a
republic following a
referendum.
Until a military
coup in July
1994, The Gambia was led by
Heads of State of The Gambia President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who was re-elected five times. The relative stability of the Jawara era was first broken by a violent, unsuccessful coup attempt in
1981.
In the aftermath of the attempted coup,
Senegal and The Gambia signed the 1982 Treaty of Confederation. The result, the
Senegambia Confederation, aimed eventually to combine the armed forces of the two nations and to unify economies and currencies. The Gambia withdrew from the
confederation in
1989.
Image:1994gambiamemorial.jpg thumb|Arch 22 monument, a memorial of the 1994 coup
In July 1994, the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) seized power in a military coup d'etat, deposing the government of Sir Dawda Jawara. Lieutenant
Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. The AFPRC announced a transition plan for return to democratic civilian government. The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in 1996 to conduct national elections. The PIEC was transformed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1997 and became responsible for registration of voters and conduct of elections and referenda. In late 2001 and early 2002, The Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential, legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent, albeit with some shortcomings. President Yahya Jammeh, who was re-elected, took the oath of office again on December 21, 2001. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections.
Politics
Image:Gambia National Assembly and Marina Parade.jpg thumb|Street Marina Parade
''Main article:
Politics of The Gambia''
Before the
coup d'état in
July 1994, The Gambia was one of the oldest existing multi-party democracies in Africa. It had conducted freely contested elections every 5 years since independence. After the
military coup, politicians from deposed President
Jawara's
People's Progressive Party (PPP) and other senior government officials were banned from participating in politics until July
2001.
Following the coup in July
1994, a presidential
Elections in The Gambia election took place in
September 1996, in which retired Col.
Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh won 56% of the vote. Four registered opposition parties participated in the
October 18,
2001, presidential election, which the incumbent, President Jammeh, won with almost 53% of the votes. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the
National Assembly of The Gambia National Assembly in legislative elections held in
January 2002, particularly after the main opposition
United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. On the 21st and 22nd of March 2006, amid tensions preceding the 2006 presidential elections, a planned military coup was uncovered. President
Yahya Jammeh was forced to return from a trip to
Mauritania, many suspected army officials were arrested, and prominent army officials, including the army chief of staff, fled the country.
Government
The 1970
constitution, which divided the government into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, was suspended after the 1994 military coup. As part of the transition process, the AFPRC established the
Constitution Review Commission (CRC) through
decree in March 1995. In accordance with the timetable for the transition to a democratically elected government, the commission drafted a new constitution for The Gambia, which approved by referendum in August 1996. The constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a
unicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights.
''See also:
Heads of State of The Gambia,
Foreign Relations of The Gambia,
Military of The Gambia''
Administrative Divisions
Image:Ga-map.png 292px|thumb|Map of The Gambia
''Main article:
Subdivisions of The Gambia,
Districts of The Gambia''
The Gambia is divided into 5
Division (subnational entity) divisions and one
city, and subdivided into 37
districts.
The
Subdivisions of The Gambia divisions include:
*
Lower River Division, The Gambia Lower River
*
Central River Division, The Gambia Central River
*
North Bank Division, The Gambia North Bank
*
Upper River Division, The Gambia Upper River
*
Western Division, The Gambia Western
The national capital,
Banjul, is classified as a city.
Districts: see
Districts of The Gambia
Geography
Image:Gambia 111 from KG.jpg thumb|A beach in Gambia
Image:Gambia - juxta.jpg thumb|Types of lifestyles in Gambia
Image:Gambia 050 from KG.jpg thumb|Children swimming near Lamin Lodge
Image:Gambia 027 from KG.jpg thumb|The river
Image:Gambia 091 from KG.jpg thumb|Houses along the River Gambia
Image:Gambia 003 from KG.jpg thumb|A market
Image:Serrakunda-mercat.jpg thumb|Mosque in Serrekunda
Image:Banjul-aeroport.jpg thumb|Yundum International airport
''Main article:
Geography of The Gambia''
The Gambia is a very small and narrow country whose borders mirror the meandering
Gambia River. The country is less than 48km wide, with a total area of 11,300 km². Its present boundaries were defined in
1889 after an agreement between the
United Kingdom and
France. It is almost an
enclave of
Senegal and the smallest country on the continent of
Africa.
Economy
''Main article:
Economy of The Gambia''
The Gambia has a liberal, market-based economy characterized by traditional subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance on groundnuts (peanuts) for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry.
Agriculture accounts for 29% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 75% of the labor force. Within agriculture, peanut production accounts for 6.9% of GDP, other crops 8.3%, livestock 5.3%, fishing 1.8%, and forestry 0.5%. Industry accounts for 12% of GDP. Manufacturing accounts for 5.5% of GDP. The limited amount of manufacturing is primarily agriculturally based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, a brewery, and a tannery). Other manufacturing activities include soap, soft drinks, and clothing. Services account for 19% of GDP.
The U.K. and other EU countries constitute The Gambia's major domestic export markets, accounting for 86% in total; followed by Asia at 14%; and the African subregion, including Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Ghana at 8%. The U.K. and the other EU countries--namely, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Belgium--were the major source of imports accounting for 60% of the total share of imports followed by Asia at 23%, and Cote d'Ivoire and other African countries at 17%. The Gambia reports 11% of its exports going to and 14.6% of its imports coming from the United States.
Demographics
''Main article:
Demographics of The Gambia''
A wide variety of
ethnic groups live in The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal friction, each preserving its own language and traditions. The
Mandinka people Mandinka tribe is the largest, followed by the
Fula,
Wolof people Wolof,
Jola people Jola, and
Serahule. Approximately 3,500 non-Africans live in The Gambia, including Europeans and families of Lebanese origin.
Muslims constitute more than 95% of the population. Christians of different denominations account for most of the remainder. Gambians officially observe the holidays of both religions and practice religious tolerance.
More than 63% of Gambians live in rural villages (1993 census), although more and more young people come to the capital in search of work and education. Provisional figures from the 2003 census show that the gap between the urban and rural populations is narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral parts of everyday life.
Culture
''Main article:
Culture of The Gambia''
''See also:''
Music of The Gambia
Miscellaneous topics
*
Communications of The Gambia
*
List of birds of The Gambia Birds of The Gambia
*
List of Gambian companies
*
Public holidays in The Gambia
*
Transportation of The Gambia
Gallery
Image:Gambia001.jpg|A butcher´s shop in Serrakunda
Image:Gambia002.jpg|Fish for sale
Image:Gambia003.jpg|Kotu beach
Image:Gambia004.jpg|Girls selling fruit at sunset in Kotu
Image:Gambia005.jpg|The beach in Kololi
Image:Gambia006.jpg|Gambian musicians
Image:Gambia007.jpg|The restored beach right out of Banjul
Image:Gambia008.jpg|Girls selling fruit on the beach
References
{{unreferenced}}
External links
{{sisterlinks|The Gambia}}
'''Government'''
-
State House and Office of the President
-
National Assembly of The Gambia
-
1996 Constitution of The Gambia
-
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
-
Gambian Embassy Accredited To The United States of America
-
Republic of The Gambia - Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment (DOSTIE)
-
Gambia Divestiture Agency
-
Department of State for Education
-
Banjul Port Authority
-
The Gambian Investment Promotion and Free Zones Agency
-
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI)
-
The Gambian Central Bank (GCB)
-
Gambian Tourist Support (GTS)
-
The Gambia International Airlines (GIA)
-
Gambian Government Tourism Office London
-
Gambia Telecommunications Company Ltd
-
Gambian Gatway
-
ARAB GAMBIAN ISLAMIC BANK
'''News'''
-
allAfrica.com - ''Gambia'' news headline links
-
Daily Observer
-
The Gambia Daily News
-
The Point Newspaper
'''Overviews'''
-
BBC News Country Profile - ''The Gambia''
-
CIA World Factbook - ''The Gambia''
'''Directories'''
-
Gambia Gateway ''websites'' directory category
-
Open Directory Project - ''Gambia'' directory category
-
Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: ''Gambia'' directory category
-
The Index on Africa - ''Gambia'' directory category
-
University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: ''Gambia'' directory category
-
Yahoo! - ''The Gambia'' directory category
'''Tourism'''
{{wikitravel}}
'''Music'''
-
Cora Connection West African music resources
'''Other'''
-
Friends of Senegal and The Gambia (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer site)
-
Gambia Information
{{Africa}}
Category:African Union member states Gambia
Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Gambia
Category:The Gambia *
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{{sisterlinkswp|Category:Gambia}}
{{catmore}}
'''The Republic of The Gambia''' is a nation in
West Africa. It is entirely surrounded by
Senegal, except where the
Gambia River empties into the
Atlantic Ocean.
Category:African countries
Category:Western Africa
af:Kategorie:Gambië
ar:تصنيÙ?:غامبيا
ca:Categoria:GÃ mbia
cs:Kategorie:Gambie
de:Kategorie:Gambia
es:CategorÃa:Gambia
eo:Kategorio:Gambio
fr:Catégorie:Gambie
ko:분류:�비아
io:Category:Gambia
id:Kategori:Gambia
na:Category:Gambia
nl:Categorie:Gambia
ja:Category:ガンビア
no:Kategori:Gambia
nn:Kategori:Gambia
pt:Categoria:Gâmbia
ru:КатегориÑ?:ГамбиÑ?
sl:Kategorija:Gambija
sv:Kategori:Gambia
*** Shopping-Tip: The Gambia
