The Gambia
Republic of The Gambia conventional short form: The Gambia
republic under multiparty democratic ruleIndependence 18 February 1965 (from UK)
The Gambia as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 112 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 new 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, have completed a nominal return to civilian rule.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
18 fieldsLand use
arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 28% other: 45% (1993 est.)
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 45.22% (male 320,458; female 317,647) 15-64 years: 52.13% (male 364,900; female 370,717) 65 years and over: 2.65% (male 19,660; female 17,823) (2001 est.)
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: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 53.59 years male: 51.65 years female: 55.58 years (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47.5% male: 58.4% female: 37.1% (2001 est.)
Government
Republic under multiparty democratic rule; President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 45 seatsone dot, one seat
Administrative divisions
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, Central River, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Constitution
- 24 April 1970;
- suspended July 1994;
- rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996;
- reestablished in January 1997
Legal system
based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996);
- 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);
- Vice President Isatou 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 for a five-year term;
- the number of terms is not restricted;
- election last held 26 September 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001) election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH elected president;
- percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.8%, Ousainou DARBOE 35.8%
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Assembly (49 seats; 45 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held NA January 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - APRC 33, UDP 7, NRP 2, PDOIS 1, independents 2
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] 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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador John P. BOJANG chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador George W. B. HALEY embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971
Economy
The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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 a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan, instability of the Gambian dalasi, and the stable political situation in Senegal have drawn some of the reexport trade away from Banjul.
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 significantly lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism from 1999 to 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.
Budget
revenues: $90.5 million expenditures: $80.9 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2001 est.)
Industries
- processing peanuts, fish, and hides;
- tourism;
- beverages;
- agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking;
- clothing
Agriculture - products
- peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels;
- cattle, sheep, goats;
- forest and fishery resources not fully exploited
Exchange rates
dalasi per US dollar - 15.000 (January 2001), 12.729 (3d quarter 1999), 11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- adequate;
- a packet switched data network is available 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)
Transportation
7 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
Army (includes marine unit), National Police, Presidential Guard
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Gambia, The.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gambia/2001.