Gambia Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Gambia
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Capital City: Banjul

Internet Links

Introduction

Gambia, 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 new 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.

Geography Gambia, The

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 11,300 sq km land: 10,000 sq km water: 1,300 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries: total: 740 km border countries: Senegal 740 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

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: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location 53 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 19% permanent crops: 1% other: 80% (1998 est.)

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: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

Geography - note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on
the continent of Africa

People Gambia, The

Population: 1,455,842 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.1% (male 329,530; female 326,627) 15-64
years: 52.3% (male 377,357; female 383,548) 65 years and over: 2.6%
(male 20,237; female 18,543) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.09% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 41.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 12.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
1.09 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 56.01 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.95% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 13,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,400 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Gambian(s) adjective: Gambian

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: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 47.5% male: 58.4% female: 37.1% (2001 est.)

Government Gambia, The

Country name: Republic of The Gambia conventional short 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 in 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: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH
(since 18 October 1996; note - from 1994 to 1996 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;
note - from 1994 to 1996 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
Cabinet appointed by the president elections: of terms is not
restricted; election last held 18 October 2001 (next
to be held NA October 2006) election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH
reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 52.9%,
Ousainou DARBOE 32.7%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected
by popular vote, five appointed by the president; members serve five-year
terms) elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held NA January
2007) election results: Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation
and Construction or APRC [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: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed
the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned
since 1996

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John
P. BOJANG chancery: Suite 1000, 1155
[1] (202) 785-1430 telephone:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Jackson McDONALD embassy: Fajara, Kairaba
P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone:
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with
white edges, and green

Economy Gambia, The

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,
and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) 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
substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism in 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. Record crops undergirded
sturdy growth in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,770 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21% industry: 12% services:
67% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 400,000

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry, commerce,
and services 19%, government 6%

Unemployment rate: NA%

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 75 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 69.75 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, sesame,
cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishery
resources not fully exploited

Exports: $139.2 million (f.o.b., 2001)

Exports - commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint,
palm kernels

Exports - partners: Benelux 26%, Japan 15%, UK 14%, Brazil 7% (2000)

Imports: $200.3 million (f.o.b., 2001)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and
transport equipment

Imports - partners: China (including Hong Kong) 18%, UK 10%, Netherlands
8%, France 6%, Brazil 6% (2000)

Debt - external: $440 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $45.4 million (1995)

Currency: dalasi (GMD)

Currency code: GMD

Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - 15.000 (January 2001), 12.788
(2000), 11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Gambia, The

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,900 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 5,624 (2000)

Telephone 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)

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 Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2001)

Internet users: 5,000 (2001)

Transportation Gambia, The

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 2,700 km paved: 956 km unpaved: 1,744 km (1996)

Waterways: 400 km

Ports and harbors: Banjul

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: 1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)

Military Gambia, The

Military branches: Gambian National Army (GNA) (includes marine unit),
National Police, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 327,677 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 165,249
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.3% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Gambia, The

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002