The Gambia

The Gambia, officially theRepublic of The Gambia,is a country inWest Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is thesmallest countryin continental Africa;it is surrounded bySenegalon all sides except for the western part, which is bordered by theAtlantic Ocean.
Its territory is on both sides of the lower reaches of theGambia River, which flows through the centre of the country and empties into the Atlantic. The national namesake river demarcates the elongated shape of the country, which has an area of 11,300 square kilometres (4,400 sq mi) and a population of 2,769,075 people in 2024 which is a 2.30% population increase from 2013.The capital city isBanjul, which has the most extensivemetropolitan areain the country.The second and third-largest cities areSerekundaandBrikama.
Arab Muslimmerchants traded with native West Africans in The Gambia throughout the 9th and 10th centuries. In 1455, thePortuguesewere the first Europeans to enter The Gambia, although they never established significant trade there. TheBritish Empireestablished a colony in 1765.In 1965, 200 years later, The Gambia gained independence under the leadership ofDawda Jawara. Jawara remained the president winning several elections until he was overthrown byYahya Jammehin abloodless 1994 coup.
Adama Barrowwas elected as The Gambia's third president in the December 2016, he defeatedYahya Jammehwith the help of a coalition of other opposition political parties.Jammeh initially accepted the results, but then refused to leave office claiming he was cheated, triggeringa constitutional crisis. TheEconomic Community of West African States(ECOWAS)conducted a military interventionand achieved Jammeh's removal two days after his term was initially scheduled to end.
The Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially tourism. In 2022, 17.2% of the population lived inextreme poverty, defined as living on less than US$2.15 (2017PPP) per day. The Gambia is a founding member of the ECOWAS. It rejoined theCommonwealth of Nationsin 2018 after previously withdrawing in 2013.Englishis the country's sole official language; it became widely used during British rule.
The name "Gambia" is derived from theMandinkatermKambra/Kambaa, meaning theGambia River. (It may be derived from the sacredSererGamba,a special type ofcalabashbeaten when a Serer elder dies).Portuguese explorers, who reached the region in the 15th century, adopted a variation of this local name, which was later anglicized toGambiaduringBritish colonial rule.
Upon independence in 1965, the country used the nameThe Gambia. Following the proclamation of a republic in 1970, the long-form name of the country becameRepublic of The Gambia.
The Gambia is one of a small number of countries for which thedefinite articleis commonly used in its English-language name and where the name is neither plural nor descriptive (e.g., "thePhilippines" or "theUnited Kingdom").The article is also officially used by the country's government and by international bodies. In 1964, shortly prior to the country's independence, Prime MinisterDawda Jawarawrote to thePermanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Userequesting that the nameThe Gambiaretain the definite article, in part to reduce confusion withZambiawhich had also recently become independent.Some scholars suggest it also emphasizes the nation's connection to the Gambia River, a defining geographical feature.
The administration ofYahya Jammehchanged the long-form name toIslamic Republic of The Gambiain December 2015.On 29 January 2017 newly elected PresidentAdama Barrowchanged the name back toRepublic of The Gambia.
Arabtraders provided the first written accounts of The Gambia area in the ninth and tenth centuries. During the tenth century, Muslim merchants and scholars established communities in several West African commercial centres. Both groups established trans-Saharan trade routes. They carried out a large export trade of local people taken captive in raids and sold asslaves.Gold and ivory were also exported, and the trade routes were used to import manufactured goods to these areas.
By the 11th or 12th century, the rulers of kingdoms such asTakrur(a monarchy centred on theSenegal Riverjust to the north), ancient Ghana andGaohad converted to Islam. They had appointed to their courts Muslims who were literate in theArabic language.At the beginning of the 14th century, most of what is today called The Gambia was part of theMali Empire. The Portuguese reached this area by sea in the mid-15th century and began to dominate overseas trade.
In 1588, the claimant to thePortuguese throne,António, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on theGambia Riverto English merchants.Letters patentfromQueen Elizabeth Iconfirmed the grant. In 1618, KingJames I of Englandgranted a charter to an English company for trade with The Gambia and theGold Coast(nowGhana). Between 1651 and 1661, some parts of The Gambia – St. Andrew's Island in the Gambia River, including Fort Jakob, and St. Mary Island (modern day Banjul) andFort Jillifree– came under the rule of theDuchy of Courland and Semigallia, a vassal state ofPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealthin what is nowLatvia, having been bought by PrinceJacob Kettler.The colonies were formally ceded to England in 1664.
During the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century, theBritish Empireand theFrench Empirestruggled continually for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal River and the Gambia River. The British Empire occupied The Gambia when an expedition led byAugustus Keppellanded there following thecapture of Senegalin 1758. The 1783Treaty of Versaillesgave Great Britain possession of the Gambia River, but the French retained a tiny enclave atAlbredaon the river's north bank. This was finally ceded to the United Kingdom in 1856.
As many as three million people may have been taken asslavesfrom this general region during the three centuries that thetransatlantic slave tradeoperated. It is not known how many people were taken as slaves by intertribal wars before the transatlantic slave trade began. Most of those taken were sold by other Africans to Europeans: some were prisoners of intertribal wars; some were victims sold because of unpaid debts, and many others were simply victims of kidnapping.
Traders initially sent people to Europe to work as servants until the market for labour expanded in theWest Indiesand North America in the 18th century. In 1807, the United Kingdom abolished theslave tradethroughout its empire. It also tried, unsuccessfully,to end the slave trade in The Gambia.Slave ships intercepted by theRoyal Navy'sWest Africa Squadronin the Atlantic were also returned to The Gambia, with people who had been slaves released onMacCarthy Islandfar up The Gambia River where they were expected to establish new lives.The British established the military post of Bathurst (nowBanjul) in 1816.
In the ensuing years, Bathurst (nowBanjul) was at times under the jurisdiction of the British Governor-General inSierra Leone. In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colony.
An agreement between Britain andFrancein 1889 established the boundaries of the colony. In 1891, a joint Anglo-French Boundary Commission faced resistance from local leaders whose lands would be divided.The Gambia became aBritish Crown colonycalledBritish Gambia, divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901, and it gradually progressed toward self-government. Slavery was abolished in 1906and following a brief conflict between the British colonial forces and indigenous Gambians, British colonial authority was firmly established.In 1919, a romantic relationship between Travelling Commissioner J. K. McCallum and Wolof womanFatou Khanscandalized the administration.
During World War II, some soldiers fought with theAllies of World War II. Though these soldiers fought mostly inBurma, some died closer to home and aCommonwealth War Graves Commissioncemetery is in Fajara (close to Banjul). Banjul contained anairstripfor theUS Army Air Forcesand a port of call for Allied naval convoys.
After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance in the following year.
The Gambia achievedindependenceon 18 February 1965, as aconstitutional monarchywithin theCommonwealth, withElizabeth IIasQueen of The Gambia, represented by theGovernor-General. Shortly thereafter, the national government held areferendumproposing that the country become arepublic. This referendum failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, civil rights, and liberties.
On 24 April 1970, The Gambia became aRepublic within the Commonwealth, following a secondreferendum. Prime Minister SirDawda Kairaba Jawaraassumed the office ofPresident, anExecutive Post, combining the offices ofhead of stateandhead of governmentwhich he held since 1962.President Sir Dawda Jawara was re-elected five times.
An attempted coupon 29 July 1981 followed a weakening of the economy and allegations of corruption against leading politicians.The coup attempt occurred while President Jawara was attending the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in London and was carried out by a rogue group of leftists calling themselves the National Revolutionary Council, composed ofKukoi Samba Sanyang's Socialist and Revolutionary Labour Party (SRLP) and elements of the Field Force, a paramilitary force which constituted the bulk of the country's armed forces.
President Jawara requested military aid fromSenegal, which deployed 400 troops to The Gambia on 31 July. By 6 August, some 2,700 Senegalese troops had been deployed, defeating the rebel force.Between 500 and 800 people were killed during the coup and the ensuing violence.
In 1982, in the aftermath of the 1981 attempted coup, Senegal and The Gambia signed a treaty of confederation. TheSenegambia Confederationaimed to combine the armed forces of the two states and to unify their economies and currencies. The Gambia permanently withdrew from the confederation in 1989.
In 1994, theArmed Forces Provisional Ruling Council(AFPRC)deposed the Jawara governmentand banned opposition political activity. LieutenantYahya Jammeh, chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. Jammeh was just 29 years old at the time of the coup. The AFPRC announced a transition plan to return to a democratic civilian government.
The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in December 1995 to conduct national elections and it supervised a referendum on a revised Constitution, the elections for President and the National Assembly by early January 1997.In 1997 theIndependent Electoral Commission - IEC- The Gambiawas established to replace the PIEC, responsible for the registration of voters and for the conduct of elections and referendums.
The IEC organized the next 5-year elections for late 2001 and early 2002, and The Gambia completed a full cycle ofpresidential,legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent.President Yahya Jammeh, who was elected to continue in the position he had assumed during the coup, took the oath of office again on 21 December 2001. Jammeh'sAlliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction(APRC) maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main oppositionUnited Democratic Party(UDP) boycotted the legislative elections.
On 2 October 2013, The Gambian Interior Minister announced that The Gambia would leavethe Commonwealthwith immediate effect, ending 48 years of membership of the organisation. The Gambian government said it had "decided that The Gambia will never be a member of any Neo-Colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism".
On 11 December 2015, President Jammeh (without any legal authority) unilaterally declared The Gambia anIslamic Republic, calling it a break from the country's colonial past, although the constitution remained secular.
The months leading up to the2016 presidential electionwere tense. The youth leader of the main oppositionUDP, Solo Sandeng, died in detention at the notoriousNational Intelligence Agency.Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the UDP, and many senior members of his party were sent to jail for demanding the release of Solo Sandeng dead or alive.President Jammeh faced opposition leaders Adama Barrow from the Independent Coalition of partiesand Mamma Kandeh from The Gambia Democratic Congress party.The high court of the Gambia sentenced main opposition leader and human rights advocateOusainou Darboeto 3 years in prison in July 2016,disqualifying him from running in the presidential election. This gave Adama Barrow to contest under the UDP ticket.
Following the 1 December 2016 elections, the elections commission declaredAdama Barrowthe winner.Jammeh, who had ruled for 22 years, first announced he would step down after losing the 2016 election before declaring the results void and calling for a new vote, sparking aconstitutional crisisand leading to aninvasionby anECOWAScoalition.On 20 January 2017, Jammeh announced that he had agreed to step down and would leave the country.
In January 2017, President Barrow removed the "Islamic" title from The Gambia's name.On 14 February 2017, The Gambia began the process of returning to its membership of the Commonwealth and formally presented its application to re-join to Secretary-GeneralPatricia Scotlandon 22 January 2018.Boris Johnson, who became the first Britishforeign secretaryto visit The Gambia since the country gained independence in 1965,announced that the British government welcomed The Gambia's return to the Commonwealth.The Gambia officially rejoined the Commonwealth on 8 February 2018.On 28 February 2018,Jaha Dukureh, a women's rights activist was nominated for theNobel Peace Prizefor her work in combatingfemale genital mutilation.
On 4 December 2021, Adama Barrow won re-election in thepresidential election.On 20 December 2022, a supposedcoup attempt by the Gambian army was foiled,with four soldiers arrested. The GambianArmed Forceshave denied that any attempt at a coup was made.Barrow's use of foreign troops for his security and for protection of some infrastructure has hurt his popularity.
The Gambia is a very small and narrow country whosebordersmirror the meanderingGambia River. It lies between latitudes13and14°N, and longitudes13and17°W.
The Gambia is less than 50 kilometres (31 miles) wide at its widest point, with a total area of 11,295 km(4,361sq mi). About 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) (11.5%) of The Gambia's area are covered by water. It is the smallest country on the African mainland. In comparative terms, The Gambia has a total area slightly more than that of the island ofJamaica.
Senegal surrounds The Gambia on three sides, with 80 km (50 mi) of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean marking its western extremity.
The present boundaries were defined in 1889 after an agreement between the United Kingdom and France. During the negotiations between the French and the British in Paris, the French initially gave the British around 320 kilometres (200 mi) of The Gambia River to control. Starting with the placement of boundary markers in 1891, it took nearly 15 years after the Paris meetings to determine the final borders of The Gambia. The resulting series of straight lines and arcs gave the British control of areas about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north and south of The Gambia River.
The Gambia contains three terrestrial ecoregions:Guinean forest-savanna mosaic,West Sudanian savanna, andGuinean mangroves.It had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 4.56/10, ranking it 120th globally out of 172 countries.
The Gambia has atropical savannah climate. A short rainy season normally lasts from June until September, but from then until May, lower temperatures predominate, with lessprecipitation.Theclimatein The Gambia closely resembles that of neighboring Senegal, ofMali, and of the northern part ofGuinea.
The Gambia gainedindependencefrom the United Kingdom on 18 February 1965. From 1965 to 1994, the country was ostensibly a multi-partyliberal democracy. It was ruled by SirDawda Jawaraand hisPeople's Progressive Party(PPP). However, the country never experienced political turnover during this period and its commitment to succession by the ballot box was never tested.In 1994, amilitary couppropelled a commission of military officers to power, known as theArmed Forces Provisional Ruling Council(AFPRC). After two years of direct rule, a new constitution was written and in 1996, the leader of the AFPRC,Yahya Jammeh, was elected as president. He ruled in an authoritarian style until the2016 election, which was won byAdama Barrow, backed by a coalition of opposition parties.
According to the 2023V-Dem Democracy IndicesThe Gambia is ranked 68th of 179 nations worldwide and the 11th of 56in Africa.
During the Jawara era, there were initially four political parties, the PPP, theUnited Party(UP), theDemocratic Party(DP), andI.M. Garba-Jahumpa'sMuslim Congress Party(MCP). The 1960 constitution had established aHouse of Representatives, and in the1960 electionno party won a majority of seats. However, in 1961, the British Governor chose UP leaderPierre Sarr N'Jieto serve as the country's first head of government, in the form of a Chief Minister. This was an unpopular decision, and the1962 electionwas notable as parties were able to appeal to ethnic and religious differences across The Gambia. The PPP won a majority, and formed a coalition with theDemocratic Congress Alliance(DCA; a merger of the DP and MCP). They invited the UP to the coalition in 1963, but it left in 1965.
The UP was seen as the main opposition party, but it lost power from 1965 to 1970. In 1975, theNational Convention Party(NCP) was formed bySheriff Mustapha Dibba, and became the new main opposition party to the PPP's dominance.Both the PPP and NCP were ideologically similar, so in the 1980s a new opposition party emerged, in the form of the radical socialistPeople's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism(PDOIS). However, between the 1966 and 1992 elections, the PPP was "overwhelmingly dominant", winning between 55% and 70% of the vote in each election and a large majority of seats continually.
In principle, competitive politics existed during the Jawara era, however, it was stated that there was in reality a "one-party monopoly of state power centred around the dominant personality of Sir Dawda Jawara".Civil societywas limited post-independence, and opposition parties were weak and at the risk of being declared subversive. The opposition did not have equal access to resources, as the business class refused to finance them. The government had control over when they could make public announcements and press briefings, and there were also allegations ofvote-buyingand improprieties in the preparation of theelectoral register. A 1991 court challenge by the PDOIS against irregularities on the electoral register in Banjul was dismissed on a technicality.
In July 1994, abloodless military coup d'étatbrought an end to the Jawara era. TheArmed Forces Provisional Ruling Council(AFPRC), led byYahya Jammeh, ruled dictatorially for two years. The council suspended the constitution, banned all political parties, and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the populace.A transition back to democracy occurred in 1996, and a new constitution was written, though the process was manipulated to benefit Jammeh.In a 1996 referendum, 70% of voters approved the constitution, and in December 1996, Jammeh was elected as president. All but PDOIS of the pre-coup parties were banned, and former ministers were barred from public office.
During Jammeh's rule, the opposition was again fragmented. An example was the infighting between members of theNational Alliance for Democracy and Development(NADD) that was formed in 2005. Jammeh used the police forces to harass opposition members and parties. Jammeh was also accused of human rights abuses, especially towards human rights activists, civil society organisations, political opponents, and the media. Their fates included being sent into exile, harassment, arbitrary imprisonment, murder, andforced disappearance. Particular examples include the murder of journalistDeyda Hydarain 2004, astudent massacre at a protestin 2000, public threats to kill human rights defenders in 2009, and public threats towards homosexuals in 2013. Furthermore, Jammeh made threats to the religious freedom of non-Muslims, used 'mercenary judges' to weaken the judiciary, and faced numerous accusations of election rigging.
In theDecember 2016 presidential election, Jammeh was beaten byAdama Barrow, who was backed by acoalition of opposition parties. Jammeh's initial agreement to step down followed by a change of mind induced aconstitutional crisisthat culminated in amilitary intervention by ECOWAS forcesin January 2017. Barrow pledged to serve at the head of a three-year transitional government.The NigerianCentre for Democracy and Developmentdescribe the challenges facing Barrow as needing to restore "citizen's trust and confidence in the public sector". They describe a "fragile peace" with tensions in rural areas between farmers and the larger communities. They also reported on tensions between ethnic groups developing. An example is that in February 2017, 51 supporters of Jammeh were arrested for harassing supporters of Barrow. Although his election was initially met with enthusiasm, the Centre notes that this has been dampened by Barrow's initial constitutional faux pas with his vice president, the challenge of inclusion, and high expectations post-Jammeh.
On 5 December 2021, Incumbent President Adama Barrow was declared the winner of The Gambia'spresidential electionby the electoral commission. The 4 December 2021 election, the first since former dictator Yahya Jammeh fled into exile, was seen as crucial for the young democracy.
The Gambia has had a number of constitutions in its history. The two most significant are the 1970 constitution, which established The Gambia as a presidential republic, and the 1996 constitution, which served as a basis for Jammeh's rule and was kept following Barrow's victory in 2016. Jammeh manipulated the 1996 constitutional reform process to benefit himself. No reference was made to term limits, indicating Jammeh's preference to stay in power for an extended period of time.According to the 1996 constitution, the President is the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Jammeh and Barrow have also both taken on the role of Minister of Defence.
The president appoints the vice president and cabinet of ministers and also chairs the cabinet. The office of Prime Minister was abolished in 1970. Total executive power is vested in the president. He can also appoint five members of the National Assembly, the judges of the superior courts, regional governors, and district chiefs. In terms of the civil service, he can appoint the Public Service Commission, the ombudsman, and the Independent Electoral Commission. The president is directly elected for five-year terms based on a simple majority of votes. There are no term limits.The Constitution is under review as of 2018 and a two-term limit and other changes required to enhance the governance structures are expected.
The Gambia followed a formal policy of non-alignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure. It maintained close relations with the United Kingdom and with Senegal and other African countries. The July 1994 coup strained The Gambia's relationship with Western powers, particularly the United States, which until 2002 suspended most non-humanitarian assistance in accordance with Section 508 of theForeign Assistance Act. After 1995, President Jammeh established diplomatic relations with several additional countries, includingLibya(suspended in 2010), andCuba.ThePeople's Republic of Chinacut ties with The Gambia in 1995 – after the latter established diplomatic links withTaiwan– and re-established them in 2016.
As a member of theEconomic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), The Gambia has played an active role in that organisation's efforts to resolve the civil wars inLiberiaand Sierra Leone and contributed troops to the community'sceasefire monitoring group(ECOMOG) in 1990 and (ECOMIL) in 2003.In November 2019, The Gambia fileda case against Myanmar in The Hague, accusing its military of genocide against Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya community.
Under Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia was also backing up rebels of MFDC in Casamance in southern Senegal.The subsequent worsening of the human rights situation placed increasing strains on US–Gambian relations.
The Gambia withdrew from theCommonwealth of Nationson 3 October 2013, with Jammeh's government stating it had "decided that The Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism".Under the Barrow government, The Gambia began the process of returning to its status as arepublic in the Commonwealth of Nationswith the support of the British government, formally presenting its application to re-join the Commonwealth to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018,returning to its status as a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations on 8 February 2018.
TheGambia Armed Forces(GAF) was created in 1985 as a stipulation of theSenegambia Confederation, a political union between The Gambia andSenegal. It originally consisted of The GambiaNational Army(GNA), trained by the British, andGambia National Gendarmerie(GNG), trained by the Senegalese. The GNG was merged into the police in 1992, and in 1997 Jammeh created aGambian Navy(GN). Attempts to create aGambian Air Forcein the mid-2000s ultimately fell through. In 2008, Jammeh created a National Republican Guard, composed of special forces units. The GNA has a strength of roughly 900, in two infantry battalions and an engineering company. It makes use ofFerretandM8 Greyhoundarmoured cars. The GN is equipped with patrol vessels, andTaiwandonated a number of new vessels to the force in 2013.
Since the GAF was formed in 1985, it has been active in UN andAfrican Unionpeacekeeping missions. It has been classed as a Tier 2 peacekeeping contributorand was described by theCenter on International Cooperationas a regional leader in peacekeeping.
It dispatched soldiers toLiberiaas part ofECOMOGfrom 1990 to 1991, during which two Gambian soldiers were killed. It has since contributed troops toECOMIL,UNMIL, andUNAMID. Responsibility for the military has rested directly with the President since Jammeh seized power at the head of abloodless military coup in 1994. Jammeh also created the role ofChief of the Defence Staff, who is the senior military officer responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Gambia Armed Forces. Between 1958 and 1985, The Gambia did not have a military, but The GambiaField Forceexisted as a paramilitary wing of the police. The military tradition of The Gambia can be traced to The GambiaRegimentof theBritish Army, that existed from 1901 to 1958 and fought inWorld War IandWorld War II. In 2017, Gambia signed the UNtreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The Gambia Armed Forces is and has been the recipient of a number of equipment and training agreements with other countries. In 1992, a contingent of Nigerian soldiers helped lead the GNA. Between 1991 and 2005, the Turkish armed forces helped train Gambian soldiers. It has also hosted British and United States training teams from theRoyal Gibraltar RegimentandUS AFRICOM.
Gambia is the 82nd most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024Global Peace Index.
According to theWorld Health Organization, an estimated 78.3% of Gambian girls and women have sufferedfemale genital mutilation.
LGBT activityis illegal, and punishable with life imprisonment,although the Barrow administration promised not to prosecute consenting same sex couples, it has also said it will not repeal the law.
TheDaily ObserverreporterEbrima Mannehis believed by human rights organisations to have been arrested in July 2006 and secretly held in custody since then.Manneh was reportedly arrested by Gambia'sNational Intelligence Agencyafter attempting to republish aBBCreport criticizing PresidentYahya Jammeh.Amnesty Internationalconsiders him to be aprisoner of conscienceand named him a 2011 "priority case".In 2019 The Gambian newspaperThe Trumpetreported that Manneh had died in captivity at some point in mid-2008.
The Gambia is divided into eightlocal government areas, including the national capital, Banjul, which is classified as a city. The divisions of The Gambia were created by the Independent Electoral Commission in accordance to Article 192 of theNational Constitution.
The local government areas are further subdivided (2013) into 43districts. Of these, Kanifing and Kombo Saint Mary (which sharesBrikamaas a capital with the Brikama Local Government Area) are effectively part of the Greater Banjul area.
The Gambia has a liberal,market-based economycharacterised 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 significanttourism industry.
TheWorld Bankpegged Gambian GDP for 2018 at US$1,624M; the International Monetary Fund put it at US$977M for 2011.
From 2006 to 2012, The Gambian economy grew annually at a rate of 5–6% of GDP.
Agriculture accounts for roughly 30% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 70% of the labour 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 about 8% of GDP and services around 58%. The limited amount of manufacturing is primarily agricultural-based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, a brewery, and a tannery). Other manufacturing activities involve soap,soft drinks, and clothing.
Previously,the United Kingdom and the EU constituted the major Gambian export markets. However, in recent years Senegal, the United States, and Japan have become significant trade partners of The Gambia. In Africa, Senegal represented the biggest trade partner of The Gambia in 2007, which is a defining contrast to previous years that had Guinea-Bissau and Ghana as equally important trade partners. Globally, Denmark, the United States, and China have become important source countries for Gambian imports. The UK, Germany,Ivory Coast, and the Netherlands also provide a fair share of Gambian imports. The Gambian trade deficit for 2007 was $331 million.
In May 2009, twelve commercial banks existed in The Gambia, including one Islamic bank. The oldest of these,Standard Chartered Bank, dates its presence back to the entry in 1894 of what shortly thereafter became theBank of British West Africa. In 2005 the Switzerland-based banking groupInternational Commercial Bankestablished a subsidiary and now has four branches in the country. In 2007 Nigeria'sAccess Bankestablished a subsidiary that now has four branches in the country, in addition to its head office; the bank has pledged to open four more. 2008 saw the incorporation of Zenith Bank (Gambia) Limited, a subsidiary of Nigeria's behemothZenith BankPlc, in the country. In May 2009 the Lebanese Canadian Bank opened a subsidiary calledPrime Bank.
Since 2017, China has invested in The Gambia as part of itsBelt and Road Initiative. A major focus of Chinese activity in Gambia has been processing of locally caught fish for the production of fish meal for export. The economic and environmental impacts of fish meal production in Gambia are controversial.
In 2024, the first solar power plant was inaugurated.
The system of transportation in The Gambia mixes both public and private operations and consists of a system of roads (both paved and unpaved), water and air transportation. TheTrans-Gambia Highwayruns along both sides of the river Gambia, which bisects the country. The river may be crossed by ferry or the Senegambia bridge. There are no railways in the country.
Roadways in the country run to a length of 3,742 km of which only 723 km is paved and the remaining 3,019 km remains unpaved.
The country has a total of 390 km of waterways, with thePort of Banjulbeing the only port, which is managed by The GambiaPorts Authority.
The country's onlyinternational airportis theBanjul International AirportatYundum, which is 26 km away.
The urbanisation rate as of 2011was 57.3%.Provisional figures from the 2003 census show the gap between the urban and rural populations narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernisation are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, indigenous forms of dress and celebration and the traditional emphasis on the extended family remain integral parts of everyday life.
TheUnited Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Human Development Report for 2010 ranks The Gambia 151st out of 169 countries on itsHuman Development Index, putting the country in the "Low Human Development" category. This index compareslife-expectancy, years of schooling,gross national income(GNI)per capitaand other factors.
Thetotal fertility rate(TFR) was estimated at 3.98 children per woman in 2013.
A variety ofethnic groupslive in The Gambia, each preserving its own language and traditions. TheMandinkaethnicity is the most numerous, followed by theFula,Wolof,Jola/Karoninka,Serahule / Jahanka,Serers,Manjago,Bambara,Aku Marabou,Bainunkaand others,such asTukulor. The Krio people, locally known asAkus, constitute one of the smallest ethnic minorities in The Gambia. They descend fromSierra Leone Creole peopleand have traditionally concentrated in the capital.
The roughly 3,500 non-African residents include Europeans and families ofLebaneseorigin (0.23% of the total population).Most of the European minority isBritish, although many of the British left after independence.
English is the official language of The Gambia and is thus used for official purposes and education. Other languages includeMandinka,Wolof,Fula,Serer,Soninke,Krio,Jolaand other indigenous vernaculars.Owing to the country's geographical setting, knowledge ofFrench(an official language in much of West Africa) is relatively widespread.
Mandinkais spoken as a first language by 38% of the population,Pulaarby 21%,Wolofby 18%,Soninkeby 9%,Jolaby 4.5%,Sererby 2.4%,ManjakandBainoukby 1.6% each,Guinean Creoleby 1%, andEnglishby 0.5%. Several other languages are spoken by smaller numbers.Gambian Sign Languageis used by the deaf.
The constitution mandates free and compulsory primary education in The Gambia. Lack of resources and of educational infrastructure has made implementation of this difficult.In 1995 the gross primary enrolment rate was 77.1% and the net primary enrolment rate was 64.7%School feeslong prevented many children from attending school, but in February 1998 PresidentJammehordered the termination of fees for the first six years of schooling.Girls make up about 52% of primary-school pupils. The figure may be lower for girls in rural areas, where cultural factors and poverty prevent parents from sending girls to school.Approximately 20% of school-age children attendQuranic schools.
There are various public and private tertiary educational institutions in theGambia.The Gambia College, one of the oldest post-secondary education, was established in 1978.It offers certificate and diploma programmes in public health, education, nursing, and agriculture.The University of the Gambiawas established by the Act of the National Assembly of the Gambia in 1999. Since its establishment the UTG offers both undergraduate, post-graduate and PhD in different faculties. The university used to be housed at the MDI inKanifingandThe Gambia CollègeinBrikama. The new campus in Faraba was inaugurated on 12 March 2024.
TheInternational Open University(until January 2020 known as the Islamic Online University), a higher-education institution having more than 435,000 enrolled students from over 250 countries worldwide, has its global headquarters in The Gambia.
In the 2024Global Hunger Index(GHI), the Gambia ranks 88th out of 127 countries, with a score of 19.9. This score indicates a moderate level of hunger.
Approximately 96% of the population identify asSunni Muslim, mostly MalikiteSufi. Except for a tiny fraction of one percent, the remainder of the population are Christian. Article 25 of the Constitution protects the rights of citizens to practise any religion that they choose and intermarriage between Muslims and Christians is common.
Virtually all commercial life in The Gambia comes to a standstill during major Muslim holidays, which includeEid al-AdhaandEid ul-Fitr.Most Muslims in The Gambia follow theMalikischool ofjurisprudence.There is also a significant presence of theAhmadiyyamovement in the country.AShiiteMuslim community exists in The Gambia, mainly due toLebaneseand otherArabimmigrantsto the region.The vast majority of South-Asian immigrants are also Muslims.
The Christian community comprises about 4% of the population.Residing in the western and southern parts of The Gambia, most members of the Christian community identify themselves asRoman Catholic. However, smaller Christian denominations are also present, includingAnglicans,Methodists,Baptists,Seventh-day Adventists,Jehovah's Witnesses, and small evangelical congregations.
It is unclear to what extentindigenousbeliefs, such as theSerer religion, continue to be practised. Serer religion encompasses cosmology and a belief in a supreme deity calledRoog. Some of its religious festivals include theXooy,Mbosseh, andRandou Rande. Each year, adherents of Serer religion make the annual pilgrimage toSinein Senegal for theXooydivination ceremony.Serer religion also has a rather significant imprint on Senegambian Muslim society in thatSenegambianMuslim festivals such as "Tobaski", "Gamo", "Koriteh" and "Weri Kor" have names representingloanwordsfrom the Serer religion – they were ancient Serer festivals.
Like the Serers, theJola peoplehave their own religious customs, including a major religious ceremony,Boukout.
Owing to a small number of immigrants fromSouth Asia,Hindusand followers of theBaháʼí Faithare also present.
Although The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, its culture is the product of very diverse influences. The national borders outline a narrow strip on either side of theRiver Gambia, a body of water that has played a vital part in the nation's destiny and is known locally simply as "the River". Without natural barriers, The Gambia has become home to most of the ethnic groups that are present throughoutwestern Africa, especially those inSenegal.
Europeans also figure prominently in Gambian history because the River Gambia is navigable deep into the continent, a geographic feature that made this area one of the most profitable sites for the slave trade from the 15th through the 17th centuries. (It also made it strategic to the halt of this trade once it was outlawed in the 19th century.) Some of this history was popularised in theAlex Haleybook and TV seriesRoots, which was set in The Gambia.
The music of The Gambia is closely linked musically withthat of its neighbour, Senegal, which surrounds its inland frontiers completely. It fuses popular Western music and dance, withsabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of theWolofandSerer people of Senegal.
The cuisine of the Gambia is heavily influenced by the culinary traditions of neighbouring Senegal, reflecting a mix of local ingredients and historical influences, including French colonial cuisine. A popular dish in particular is the Senegalesedomoda, a savoury peanut stew made with meat, peanut paste, and vegetables, representative of Gambian comfort food. Senegaleseyassais also enjoyed widely; it features marinated fish or chicken seasoned with lemon, onions, and mustard, providing a sharp flavour that contrasts with the earthiness of many other dishes.Gambian cuisine usually includes peanuts, rice, fish, meat, onions, tomatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, egg plant, cabbage, chili peppers and oysters from the River Gambia.
As with other West African countries, The Gambia has a tradition of oral literature, including thegriots, traditional storytellers and musicians.Since the 1960s, an English-language Gambian literature has emerged.Lenrie Petersis considered the founding father of this literature, whilst notable writers includeTijan Sallah,Nana Grey-JohnsonandMariama Khan.
Critics have accused the government of restricting free speech. A 2002 law created a commission with the power to issue licences and imprison journalists; in 2004, additional legislation allowed prison sentences for libel and slander and cancelled all print and broadcasting licenses, forcing media groups to re-register at five times the original cost.
Three Gambian journalists have been arrested since the coup attempt. It has been suggested that they were imprisoned for criticising the government's economic policy, or for stating that a former interior minister and security chief was among the plotters.Newspaper editorDeyda Hydarawas shot to death under unexplained circumstances, days after the 2004 legislation took effect.
Licensing fees are high for newspapers and radio stations, and the only nationwide stations are tightly controlled by the government.
Reporters Without Bordershas accused "PresidentYahya Jammeh's police state" of using murder, arson, unlawful arrest and death threats against journalists.
In December 2010,Musa Saidykhan, former editor ofThe Independentnewspaper, was awarded US$200,000 by theECOWAS CourtinAbuja, Nigeria. The court found the Government of The Gambia guilty of torture while he was detained without trial at theNational Intelligence Agency. Apparently he was suspected of knowing about the 2006 failed coup.
As in neighbouringSenegal, the national and most popular sport in The Gambia iswrestling.Association footballandbasketballare also popular. Football in The Gambia is administered by The GambiaFootball Federation, who are affiliated to bothFIFAandCAF. The GFA runs league football in The Gambia, including top divisionGFA League First Division, as well as The Gambianational football team. Nicknamed "The Scorpions", the national side have never qualified for theFIFA World Cup, but qualified for theAfrica Cup of Nationsat senior level for the first time in 2021. They also qualified for the second time in row in 2023 to participate in theAFCON in Ivory Coast.They play atIndependence Stadium. The Gambia won two CAF U-17 championships one in 2005 when the country hosted, and 2009 in Algeria automatically qualifying for FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru (2005) and Nigeria (2009) respectively. The U-20 also qualified for FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 and 2023 in Canada and Argentina respectively. The female U-17 also competed in FIFA U-17 World Cup 2012 in Azerbaijan.
The Gambia featured a national team inbeach volleyballthat competed at the2018–2020 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cupin both the women's and the men's section.