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Background:
|
 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. |
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Location:
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Western Africa,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
11,300 sq km
land: 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less
than twice the size of Delaware |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 740
km
border countries: Senegal 740 km |
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Coastline:
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80 km |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot,
rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November
to May) |
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Terrain:
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flood plain of
the Gambia River flanked by some low hills |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish |
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Land use:
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arable land:
19.5%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 80% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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20 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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drought (rainfall
has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years) |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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almost an enclave
of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa |
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Population:
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1,546,848 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
44.7% (male 347,349; female 344,264)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 403,297; female 410,382)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 21,459; female 20,097)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
17.5 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.7 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.98% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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40.3 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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12.08
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
1.57 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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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: 1.07 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
73.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 80.14 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 54.79 years
male: 52.76 years
female: 56.87 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.6% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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8,400 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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400 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian |
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Ethnic groups:
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African 99% (Mandinka
42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%),
non-African 1% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 90%,
Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1% |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.1%
male: 47.8%
female: 32.8% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia |
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Government type:
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republic under
multiparty democratic rule |
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Capital:
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Banjul |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 divisions and 1
city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper
River, Western |
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Independence:
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18 February 1965
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
18 February (1965) |
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Constitution:
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24 April 1970;
suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national
referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished January 1997 |
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Legal system:
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based on a
composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary
law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Executive branch:
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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; note - from 1994 to 1996 was he
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
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; the number of terms is not restricted;
election last held 18 October 2001 (next to be held NA October
2006)
election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected
president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 52.9%,
Ousainou DARBOE 32.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote, five
appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held
NA January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1, |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for
Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J.
J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's Party-Progressive People's
Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou
DARBOE]; 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 [Sidia JATTA]
note: in August 2001, an independent electoral
commission allowed the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and
PPP, three parties banned since 1996 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lena Manga
Sagnia SECK
chancery: Suite 905, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington,
DC 20005
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Jackson McDONALD
embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391971
FAX: [220] 392475 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 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; the following two marketing seasons have
seen substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in
tourism in 2000 has also held back growth. Unemployment and
underemployment rates are extremely high. Shortrun economic
progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and
multilateral aid, on responsible government economic
management as forwarded by IMF technical help and advice, and
on expected growth in the construction sector. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $2.597 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.5% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,700 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
33%
industry: 13%
services: 54% (1999 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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400,000 (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 75%,
industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$90.5 million
expenditures: $80.9 million, including capital
expenditures of $4.1 million (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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processing
peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural
machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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85.33 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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79.36 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1,900 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, millet,
sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm
kernels; cattle, sheep, goats |
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Exports:
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$156 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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peanut products,
fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports |
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Exports - partners:
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France 22.2%, UK
18.5%, Italy 11.1%, Malaysia 11.1%, Belgium 7.4%, Germany 7.4%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$271 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs,
manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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China 22.3%,
Senegal 9.2%, UK 6.7%, Brazil 5.9%, Netherlands 5.4%, India
5%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$476 million
(2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$45.4 million
(1995) |
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Currency:
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dalasi (GMD) |
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Currency code:
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GMD |
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Exchange rates:
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dalasi per US
dollar - NA (2003), 19.92 (2002), 15.69 (2001), 12.79 (2000),
11.4 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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38,400 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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100,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM 2,
shortwave 0 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1
(government-owned) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.gm |
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Internet hosts:
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568 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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25,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total:
2,700 km
paved: 956 km
unpaved: 1,744 km (1999) |
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Waterways:
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400 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Banjul |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Gambian National
Army (GNA) (including Naval Unit), Presidential Guard |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 350,256 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 176,733 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$900,000 (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.3% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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attempts to stem
refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, other illegal
activities, and political instability from separatist movement
in southern Senegal's Casamance region |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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