The Gambia

Republic of The Gambia

republic under multiparty democratic ruleIndependence 18 February 1965 (from UK)

The Gambia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBanjul
Position13 28 N, 16 34 W
Area11,300 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and
1997

Every edition of The Gambia

Populationas each edition published it
1.25 million July 1997 est. · 848,147 in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.48% 1997 est. · 3.07% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
53.43 years 1997 est. · 49.61 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.98 children per woman 1997 est. · 6.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
78.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 140 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,100 1995 est. · $325 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2% 1995 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and | Senegal

18 fields

Land useshare of 11,300 sq km

arable land 18%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 9%forests and woodland 28%other 45% (1993 est.)irrigated 150 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
11,300sq km
land : 10,000 sq kmwater: 1,300 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Coastline
80km
contiguous zone: 18 nmcontinental shelf : not specifiedexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
53m
unnamed locationlowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
740km
border countries: Senegal 740 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates

13 28 N, 16 34 W

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

Natural hazards

rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years

Environment - current issues

  • deforestation;
  • desertification;
  • water-borne diseases prevalent

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

People

15 fields
Population
1,248,085
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 3.48% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
43.86Death
13.29Net migration
4.23

Religions

Muslim 90%Christian 9%indigenous beliefs 1%
Literacy
38.6%
definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale : 52.8%female: 24.9% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
46% (male 286,422; female 285,379)
15-64 years:
51% (male 318,699; female 324,264)
65 years and over:
3% (male 17,723; female 15,598) (July 1997 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:
1.14 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
53.43 years
male :
51.16 years
female:
55.76 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.98 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun :
Gambian(s)
adjective:
Gambian

Ethnic groups

African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-Gambian 1%

Languages

English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Government

Republic under multiparty democratic rule; President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 12 October 1996); President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

55.5%
President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.5%Ousinou DARBOE 35.8%election last held 26 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)

Country name

conventional long form:
Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form :
The Gambia

Government type

republic under multiparty democratic rule

Administrative divisions

5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western

Independence

18 February 1965 (from UK); note - The 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 published in March 1996;
  • approved by national referendum 8 August 1996;
  • rewritten and reestablished in January 1997

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);
  • 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);
  • Vice President Isaton Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997);
  • note - the 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 vote - President 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 party - NA; seats by party - APRC 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];
  • note - in 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 parties - the National Convention Party or NCP [former vice president Sheriff DIBBA (in exile)] 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Malamin K. JUWARA
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

The Gambia has no important mineral or other | natural resources and has a limited agricultural base.

22 fields
Real growth rate
2%
(1995 est.)industrial production growth: NA%
Labor force
400,000
(1986 est.)by occupation: agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%
Debt - external
$419million
(1994 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 27%industry 15%services 58% (1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$88.6 millionExpenditures
$98.2 million
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)

Economy - overview

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 in 1996 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 government willingness to reduce intervention in market processes.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1995 est.)

Industries

  • processing peanuts, fish, and hides;
  • tourism;
  • beverages;
  • agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking;
  • clothing

Electricity - capacity

30,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production

65 million kWh (1991)

Agriculture - products

  • peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels;
  • cattle, sheep, goats;
  • forest and fishing resources not fully exploited

Exports

total value :
$127 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities:
peanuts and peanut products 70%, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners:
Japan, Senegal, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, UK, Indonesia

Imports

total value:
$201 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
partners:
China, Cote d'Ivoire, France, UK, Germany

Economic aid

recipient: bilateral $36.1 million; multilateral $34.7 million (1994)

Currency

1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut

Exchange rates

dalasi (D) per US$1 - 9.875 (November 1996), 9.546 (1995), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993), 8.888 (1992)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
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 station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

180,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

over 3,047 m
1

Networkskm

Highways
2,640Railways
0Waterways
400
Highways: paved: 932 km · unpaved : 1,708 km (1995 est.)

Highways

total:
2,640 km
paved:
932 km
unpaved :
1,708 km (1995 est.)

Airports

1 (1996 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, National Police

5 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, National Police

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 276,923 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite GAZA STRIP

Introduction

1 field

Current issues

The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996.

Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho has taken place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement.

The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations which began on 5 May 1996.

Central Intelligence Agency. “The Gambia.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gambia/1997.

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