Historical Dictionary of the Gambia
HDGambiaOFFLITH.qxd 8/7/08 11:32 AM Page 1 AFRICA HISTORY HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF AFRICA, NO. 109 HUGHES & FOURTH EDITION PERFECT The Gambia achieved independence from Great Britain on 18 February 1965. Despite its small size and population, it was able to establish itself as a func- tioning parliamentary democracy, a status it retained for nearly 30 years. The Gambia thus avoided the common fate of other African countries, which soon fell under authoritarian single-party rule or experienced military coups. In addi- tion, its enviable political stability, together with modest economic success, enabled it to avoid remaining under British domination or being absorbed by its larger French-speaking neighbor, Senegal. It was also able to defeat an attempted coup d’état in July 1981, but, ironically, when other African states were returning to democratic government, Gambian democracy finally suc- Historical Dictionary of Dictionary Historical cumbed to a military coup on 22 July 1994. Since then, the democracy has not been restored, nor has the military successor government been able to meet the country’s economic and social needs. THE This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of The Gambia—through its chronology, introductory essay, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds FOURTH EDITION FOURTH of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important people, places, events, institutions, and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects— GAMBIA provides an important reference on this burgeoning African country. ARNOLD HUGHES is professor emeritus of African politics and former direc- tor of the Centre of West African Studies at the University of Birmingham, England. He is a leading authority on the political history of The Gambia, vis- iting the country more than 20 times since 1972 and authoring several books and numerous articles on Gambian politics.
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