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GAMBIA Facts, History and Geography GAMBIA Facts, History and Geography OFFICIAL NAME Republic of The Gambia FORM OF GOVERNMENT A multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [531]) HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT President: Adama Barrow CAPITAL Banjul OFFICIAL LANGUAGE English MONETARY UNIT dalasi (D) POPULATION (2018 est.) 2,184,000 POPULATION RANK (2018) 145 POPULATION PROJECTION 2030 3,029,000 TOTAL AREA (SQ MI) 4,491 TOTAL AREA (SQ KM) 11,632 1 DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ MI (2018) 523.7 DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ KM (2018) 204.5 URBAN-RURAL POPULATION Urban: (2018) 61.3% Rural: (2018) 38.7% LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH Male: (2017) 62.8 years Female: (2017) 67.5 years LITERACY: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGE 15 AND OVER LITERATE Male: (2015) 64.1% Female: (2015) 47.8% GNI (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2017) 947 GNI PER CAPITA (U.S.$) (2016) 450 · 1Includes 5 appointed seats. 2 Introduction The Gambia, a country in western Africa situated on the Atlantic coast and surrounded by the neighbouring country of Senegal. It occupies a long narrow strip of land that surrounds the Gambia River. The land is flat and is dominated by the river, which is navigable throughout the length of the country. The peculiar shape and size of the country are the result of territorial compromises made during the 19th century by Great Britain, which controlled the lower Gambia River, and France, which ruled the neighbouring colony of Senegal. Periodic talks in the 20th century to unite The Gambia and Senegal led to the short-lived Senegambia confederation (1982–89). The Gambia is Africa’s smallest nonisland country. It is also one of Africa’s most densely populated countries. A few towns are located upriver, but most Gambians live in rural villages. The major ethnic groups are similar to those in Senegal and consist of the majority Malinke and also include Wolof, Fulani (Fulbe), Diola (Jola), and Soninke peoples. The Gambian economy is heavily dependent on peanut (groundnut) production and export. 3 The country is known for the beaches along its small Atlantic coastline and for being home to Jufureh (Juffure), the reputed ancestral village of Kunta Kinte, the main character in Alex Haley’s well-known novel Roots. The capital, Banjul (called Bathurst until 1973), is situated where the Gambia River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Land The Gambia is a strip of land 15 to 30 miles (25 to 50 km) wide on either side of the Gambia River and extends almost 300 miles (480 km) into the interior; except for a short coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, it is entirely surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia River is the country’s dominant feature. It flows across a plateau of Miocene- Pliocene sandstone consisting of compacted sediment composed predominantly of quartz grains formed from about 23.7 to 1.6 million years ago. In the east, narrow valleys are separated by broad interfluves or flattish hills. In the west, lower and smaller sand hills alternate with depressions filled in with sand to form a flat plain. Soils and climate The Gambia has a wet-and-dry tropical climate characterized by an intense rainy season occurring generally between June and October and by a longer dry season. Near the coast the rainy season lasts longer, and the rainfall is heavier, diminishing eastward. At Yundum the average annual rainfall is about 50 inches (1,300 mm), and the mean monthly temperature tends to be in the upper 70s F (mid-20s C), while at Basse Santa Su, about 270 miles (435 km) inland, the comparable figures are about 40 inches (1,000 mm) and the low 80s F (upper 20s C). The relative humidity is high but drops from December to April, when the dry northeastern wind known as the harmattan is dominant. Plant and animal life The vegetation cover of The Gambia is savanna on the uplands, various kinds of inland swamp in the low-lying areas, and mangrove swamp along the brackish lower Gambia River. Few wild animals are native to the region, and those that survive are under pressure from the human and domestic animal populations. In the middle and upper river areas there are warthogs, monkeys, baboons, antelope, pygmy hippopotamuses, and crocodiles. In addition, more than 500 species of birds live throughout the country. Birds and wildlife can be found in Bijilo Forest Park, along the Atlantic coast, the Abuko Nature Reserve, just upriver from Banjul, Kiang West National 4 Park, farther inland, and River Gambia National Park (also known as Baboon Island National Park), near Kuntaur. People Ethnic groups The river basin was a focal point for migrating groups of people escaping the turmoil of western Sudanic wars dating from the 12th century. The Diola (Jola) are the people longest resident in the country; they are now located mostly in western Gambia. The largest group is the Malinke, comprising about one-third of the population. The Wolof, who are the dominant group in Senegal, also predominate in Banjul. The Fulani settled the extreme upriver areas, and their kingdom, Fuladu, became a major power in the late 19th century. The Soninke, an admixture of Malinke and Fulani, are also concentrated in the upriver areas. English is the official language, but the most frequently spoken languages are generally of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. Mandinka and Wolof constitute the lingua francas of the country, and other languages spoken include Pulaar (Fulbe), Serer, Diola, and Soninke. Some Muslim clerics are literate in Arabic. Economy Agriculture, forestry, and fishing Gambian agriculture can be described as a classic monoculture; peanuts (groundnuts) are the most valuable agricultural commodity. Land is cleared by the slash-and-burn technique, but farmers practice conservation. Most land is held in common by the villagers. There is a sharp division of labour, with men involved in planting, cultivating, and harvesting cash crops while women cultivate subsistence crops such as cassava (manioc), yams, eggplant, tomatoes, rice, and lentils. There are citrus orchards in the western area near Banjul. The production of peanuts has increased with the wider use of fertilizers and ox-drawn equipment and the introduction of better seeds. In order to diversify the economy, the government has encouraged the production of rice. A pilot scheme was begun in the mid-1960s to introduce plantation oil palm production, but this has had little impact on the national economy. Stock farming, always a factor in the Fulani culture, has also received government support, but factors such as insufficient animal husbandry techniques and the scarcity of 5 suitable pasture and water have limited the size of herds. The drought years of the 1970s and ’80s seriously damaged agricultural production, particularly upriver. The country was not as hard hit as other countries in the region, however, and recovery has been steady. Although the country’s small ocean coastline limits marine fishing, there is some potential for commercial fishing offshore and in the river. Most Gambians are not fishermen, but those who are have been handicapped by inadequate equipment. The government has offered small loans for the purchase of motorized fishing boats and the construction of smoke huts for the processing of bonga (shad, or West African herring), which is exported to other western African states. Resources and power The Gambia has very few exploited mineral deposits. Some amounts of clay, sand, and gravel are excavated for local use. Foreign investors have been granted licenses to explore offshore blocks for potential petroleum and natural gas reserves, but these actions have not yet yielded any production. The Gambia River holds hydroelectric potential, but there are no dams on the river within the country’s borders. Oil is imported to meet the country’s energy needs. Electricity is limited to parts of Banjul and a few interior towns but is sporadic at best; most Gambians do not have access to modern infrastructure. Manufacturing The most significant industry in the country is peanut processing. The crop is sold to agents of The Gambia Groundnut Corporation (until 1993 known as the Gambia Produce Marketing Board), which fixes the season’s price in advance, pays the producers in cash, and sells the crop overseas. The agents arrange for transportation of the peanuts to Banjul or Kuntaur, where the nuts are shelled before being shipped. After shelling, a large part of the crop is pressed into oil at pressing mills. The residue is used as cattle cake. The construction industry has grown in correlation with the growth of the tourism sector. Smaller industries include the manufacture of food products, beverages, textiles, footwear, and wood products. Handicraft and other small- scale local craft production exists in villages throughout the country. 6 Finance and trade The Central Bank of The Gambia issues the national currency, the dalasi. There are several private banks in the country as well. The Gambia previously had a relatively large volume of trade for such a small country. In the early 1980s, however, the country had a yearly adverse balance of trade reflecting the losses caused by drought. The trade deficit continued into the 1990s and 2000s. More and more people, especially young men, have migrated to the urban area around Banjul, and this has led to a decrease in peanut production. Besides peanuts, The Gambia’s exports include cotton, rice, and cattle. In addition, the reexportation of goods constitutes a considerable portion of the country’s export trade. All manufactured items must be imported; other imports include petroleum products, lumber, and cement. Trading partners include Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Vietnam, Spain, and Brazil. Senegal is also a significant partner, although much of the trade is unofficial, and the smuggling of peanuts and other goods into Senegal is a problem.
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