Guide to Gambia Introduction , The 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. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has been elected president in all subsequent elections.
Geography , The Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
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
Natural resources: fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay, petroleum
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)
Environment - current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
People , The Population: 1,593,256 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.93% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 39.86 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 11.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 5.38 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 600 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
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
Government , The Country name: conventional long form
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Constitution: 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished 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
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote, five appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC - the ruling party [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
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
Economy , The Economy - overview: 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; the following two marketing seasons saw substantially lower prices and sales. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.799 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 400,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%
Unemployment rate: NA (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 25.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 90.31 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 83.99 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Current account balance: $-16.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $114.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Exports - partners: India 21.4%, Thailand 15.1%, UK 13.7%, France 12.9%, Germany 8.7%, Italy 7.5% (2004)
Imports: $180.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners: China 23.7%, Senegal 11.6%, Brazil 5.9%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.5%, US 4.4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $113.1 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $476 million (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $45.4 million (1995)
Currency (code): dalasi (GMD)
Currency code: GMD
Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - 27.306 (2003), 27.306 (2003), 19.918 (2002), 15.687 (2001), 12.788 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications , The Telephones - main lines in use: 38,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 100,000 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios: 196,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (government-owned) (1997)
Televisions: 5,000 (2000)
Internet country code: .gm
Internet hosts: 568 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2001)
Internet users: 25,000 (2002)
Transportation , The Highways: total
Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2004)
Ports and harbors: Banjul
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Military , The Military branches: Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Presidential Guard, National Guard
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.3% (2004)
Transnational Issues , The Disputes - international: 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
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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