The Gambia

• tropical;
• hot, rainy season (June to November);
• cooler, dry season (November to May)

• settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River;
• the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul, and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

noun:

Gambian(s)

adjective:

Gambian

total:

20.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

19.8 years

female:

20.6 years

• settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River;
• the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul, and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

35.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

39.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

32.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

68.4 years (2024 est.)

male:

66.7 years

female:

70.1 years

total:

2.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

2.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

11.1% (2020 est.)

male:

21.4% (2020 est.)

female:

0.8% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

5.6%

women married by age 18:

23.1%

men married by age 18:

0.2% (2020 est.)

• deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture;
• desertification;
• water pollution;
• water-borne diseases

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

• tropical;
• hot, rainy season (June to November);
• cooler, dry season (November to May)

urban population:

64.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

39.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

0.53 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

1.96 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of The Gambia

conventional short form:

The Gambia

etymology:

named for the Gambia River that flows through the heart of the country

name:

Banjul

geographic coordinates:

13 27 N, 16 34 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• Banjul is located on Saint Mary's Island at the mouth of the Gambia River;
• the Mandinka used to gather fibrous plants on the island for the manufacture of ropes;
• "bang julo" is Mandinka for "rope fiber";
• mispronunciation over time caused the term became the word Banjul

history:

• previous 1965 (Independence Act), 1970;
• latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997;
• note - in early 2018, the "Constitutional Review Commission," was established to draft and assist in instituting a new constitution;
• a second draft completed in March 2020 was rejected by the National Assembly in September;
• the president announced in January 2022 government plans to draft a new constitution

amendments:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly membership in each of several readings and approval by the president of the republic;
• a referendum is required for amendments affecting national sovereignty, fundamental rights and freedoms, government structures and authorities, taxation, and public funding;
• passage by referendum requires participation of at least 50% of eligible voters and approval by at least 75% of votes cast;
• amended 2001, 2004, 2018

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022)

head of government:

Vice President Mohammed JALLOW (since 23 February 2024)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 4 December 2021 (next to be held in 2026);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

2021: Adama BARROW reelected president; percent of vote - Adama BARROW (NPP) 53.2%, Ousainou DARBOE (UDP) 27.7%, Mamma KANDEH (GDC) 12.3%, other 6.8%; 2016: Adama BARROW elected president; percent of vote - Adama BARROW (Coalition 2016) 43.3%, Yahya JAMMEH (APRC) 39.6%, Mamma KANDEH (GDC) 17.1%

description:

unicameral National Assembly (58 seats; 53 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 9 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NPP 33.9%, UDP 28.3%, independent 22.6%, NRP 7.5%, PDOIS 3.7%, APRL 3.7%;
• seats by party - NPP 18, UDP 15, independent 12, NRP 4, APRL 2, PDOIS 2;
• composition - men 53, women 5, percentage women 8.6%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of The Gambia (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices; court sessions held with 5 justices)

judge selection and term of office:

• justices appointed by the president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, a 6-member independent body of high-level judicial officials, a presidential appointee, and a National Assembly appointee;
• justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts:

• Court of Appeal;
• High Court;
• Special Criminal Court;
• Khadis or Muslim courts;
• district tribunals;
• magistrates courts;
• cadi courts

• Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC
• Gambia Democratic Congress or GDC
• Gambia Moral Congress or GMC
• National People's Party or NPP
• People's Progressive Party or PPP
• United Democratic Party or UDP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Momodou Lamin BAH (12 December 2022)

chancery:

5630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone:

[1] (202) 785-1399

FAX:

[1] (202) 785-1430

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.gambiaembassydc.us/home

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sharon L. CROMER (since 18 March 2022)

embassy:

Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, P.M.B. 19, Banjul

mailing address:

2070 Banjul Place, Washington DC 20521-2070

telephone:

[220] 439-2856

FAX:

[220] 439-2475

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://gm.usembassy.gov/

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green;
• red stands for the sun and the savannah, blue represents the Gambia River, and green symbolizes forests and agriculture;
• the white stripes denote unity and peace

name:

"For The Gambia, Our Homeland"

lyrics/music:

Virginia Julie HOWE/adapted by Jeremy Frederick HOWE

note: adopted 1965; the music is an adaptation of the traditional Mandinka song "Foday Kaba Dumbuya"

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (both cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites; Stone Circles of Senegambia

• low-income West African economy;
• agriculture-dominant;
• high poverty rate;
• heightened inflation;
• dependent on foreign assistance and remittances;
• structural reforms conditioned by IMF Extended Credit Facility program

agriculture:

24.6% (2023 est.)

industry:

15.2% (2023 est.)

services:

51.5% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

10.6% (2023 est.)

male:

10.9% (2023 est.)

female:

10.4% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.6% (2020 est.)

highest 10%:

30.6% (2020 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

general assessment:

• Gambia’s telecom market has five mobile networks providing effective competition;
• mobile subscriptions are well above the African average, itself a testament to the poor condition of the fixed-line infrastructure and the lack of availability of fixed services in many rural areas of the country;
• there are only four licensed ISPs, which are small networks serving local areas, and so competition is minimal;
• their limited services are complemented by the fixed-wireless offerings of three of the MNOs;
• the government has embarked on a National Broadband Network program aimed at closing the digital divide affecting many parts of the country;
• despite efforts to improve internet connectivity, the country ranks among the lowest globally in terms of digital readiness. (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line subscriptions are 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity nearly 110 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 220;
• landing point for the ACE submarine cable to West Africa and Europe;
• microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

• 1 state-run TV-channel;
• one privately-owned TV-station;
• 1 Online TV-station;
• three state-owned radio station and 31 privately owned radio stations;
• eight community radio stations;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available, some via shortwave radio;
• cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

2 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

53,735 (2018)

total:

2,977 km

paved:

518 km

unpaved:

2,459 km (2011)

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Banjul

• 18-25 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (18-22 for officers);
• no conscription;
• service obligation six months (2024)