The Gambia
Republic of The Gambia
republicIndependence 18 February 1965 (from UK)
The Gambia as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 132 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections, including most recently in late 2006.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
20 fieldsLand useshare of 11,300 sq km
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.03 cu km/yr (23%/12%/65%)
- per capita:
- 20 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)
Male · female
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:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- respiratory disease:
- meningococcal meningitis (2008)
Ethnic groups
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1% (2003 census)
Government
Republic; President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 52 seats, elected 25 January 2007one dot, one seat
Capital
- name:
- Banjul
- geographic coordinates:
- 13 27 N, 16 34 W
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Legal system
based on a composite of English common law, Islamic 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);
- 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); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 22 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
- election results:
- Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%, Halifa SALLAH 6.0%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 members elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 25 January 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 47, UDP 4, NADD 1, independent 1
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC (the ruling party) [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH];
- Gambia People's Democratic Party or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ];
- National Alliance for Democracy and Development or NADD [Halifa SALLAH];
- 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];
- United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- National Environment Agency or NEA;
- West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA;
- Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia
- other:
- special needs group advocates; teachers and principals
International organization participation
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Abdul Rahman COLE
- chancery:
- Suite 600, 1424 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 785-1379
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 785-1430
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Barry L. WELLS
- embassy:
- Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
- mailing address:
- P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
- telephone:
- [220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170
- FAX:
- [220] 439-2475
Economy
The Gambia has no confirmed mineral or natural resource deposits and has a limited agricultural base.
48 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2007 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
The Gambia has no confirmed 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 Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. 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.
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
Exchange rates
dalasis (GMD) per US dollar - 27.79 (2007), 28.066 (2006), 28.575 (2005), 30.03 (2004), 27.306 (2003)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- adequate;
- a packet switched data network is available;
- two mobile-cellular service providers
- domestic:
- adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity reached 50 telephones per 100 persons in 2007
- international:
- country code - 220;
- microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 5 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2008)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Office of the Chief of Defense: Gambian National Army (National Guard, GNA), Gambian Navy (GN) (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Office of the Chief of Defense: Gambian National Army (National Guard, GNA), Gambian Navy (GN) (2008)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - 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
Trafficking in persons
- current situation:
- The Gambia is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation;
- women and girls, and to a lesser extent boys, are trafficked for sexual exploitation - in particular to meet the demand for European sex tourism - and for domestic servitude;
- boys are trafficked within the country for forced begging and street vending;
- Gambian women and children may be trafficked to Europe through trafficking schemes disguised as migrant smuggling
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, The Gambia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking;
- The Gambia failed to report any trafficking arrests, prosecutions, or convictions in 2007, and the government demonstrated weak victim protection efforts during the reporting period (2008)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Gambia, The.” The World Factbook 2008. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gambia/2008.