Map of The Gambia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal it formed a short-lived Confederation 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 JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential election in 1996 followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997 completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH was elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N 16 34 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 11,300 km²
Land: 10,120 km²
Water: 1180 km²
Rank: 167
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 749 km
Border countries: (1) Senegal 749 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: extent not specified

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
Extremes highest point: unnamed elevation 53 m

Natural resources: fish clay silica sand titanium (rutile and ilmenite) tin zircon

Land use
Agricultural land: 56.1%
Forest: 43.9%
Other: 0%

Irrigated land: 50 km² (2011)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 8 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)

Geography
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country in Africa


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Population: 1,967,709 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 150
Growth rate: 2.16% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 43
Below poverty line: 48.4% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Gambian
Adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42% Fula 18% Wolof 16% Jola 10% Serahuli 9% other 4%) non-African 1% (2003 census)

Languages: English (official) Mandinka Wolof Fula other indigenous vernaculars

Religions: Muslim 90% Christian 8% indigenous beliefs 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.31%
15-24 years: 20.81%
25-54 years: 33.45%
55-64 years: 4.08%
65 years and over: 3.36% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 94.2%
Youth dependency ratio: 89.7%
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.5%
Potential support ratio: 22.3%

Median age
Total: 20.5 years
Male: 20.2 years
Female: 20.8 years

Population growth rate: 2.16% (2015 est.)
Rank: 43

Birth rate: 30.86 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 39

Death rate: 7.15 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 125

Net migration rate: -2.12 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 170

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 59.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.33% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BANJUL (capital) 504,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 63.9 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 69.33 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 58.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 18

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.6 years
Male: 62.27 years
Female: 67 years
Rank: 177

Total fertility rate: 3.73 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 42

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 9% (2013)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.11 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1.1 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.82% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 28
People living with hivaids: 20,300 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 77
Deaths: 900 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 68

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.1% (2014)
Rank: 138

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 17.4% (2010)
Rank: 38

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 109

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 55.5%
Male: 63.9%
Female: 47.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 9 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
Conventional short form: The Gambia

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Banjul
Geographic coordinates: 13 27 N 16 34 W
Time difference: UTC 0

Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul* Central River Lower River North Bank Upper River Western

Dependent areas

Independence: 18 February 1965 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 18 February (1965)

Constitution: previous 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996 approved by referendum 8 August 1996 effective 16 January 1997; amended several times last in 2009 (2009)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Islamic law and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Yahya JAMMEH ; Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Yahya JAMMEH ; Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term ; election last held on 24 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: Yahya JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya JAMMEH 71.5% Ousainou DARBOE (UDP) 17.4% Hamat BAH (NRP) 11.1%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly
Elections: last held on 29 March 2012
Election results: percent of vote by party - APRC 51.8% independent 38.8% NRP 9.4%; seats by party - APRC 43 independent 4 NRP 1

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of The Gambia
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 age
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Special Criminal Court; Khadis or Muslim courts; district tribunals; magistrates courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA NAM OIC OPCW UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sheikh Amar FAYE
In the us chancery: 2,233 Wisconsin Avenue NW Georgetown Plaza Suite 240 Washington DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] 785-1379 1399 1425 [1] (202) 785-1379 1399 1425
In the us FAX: [1] 342-0240
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Deputy Chief of Mission Richard T. YONEOKA (since August 2014); note - Ambassador George Staples serves as Charge d'Affaires but is an adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky
From the us embassy: Kairaba Avenue Fajara Banjul
From the us mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19 Banjul
From the us telephone: [220] 439-2,856 437-6,169 437-6,170
From the us FAX: [220] 439-2,475

Flag description: 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

National symbols: lion; national colors: red blue green white

National anthem
Name: 'For The Gambia Our Homeland'
Lyrics and 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'

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits and a limited agricultural base. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about 20% of the country’s GDP. The government has invested strongly in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-fifth of GDP. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land: is cultivated. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts fish and hides. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger tourist destinations in West Africa boosted by government and private sector investments in eco-tourism and upscale facilities. Tourism normally brings in about one-fifth of GDP but suffered in 2014 from tourists’ fears of Ebolavirus in neighboring West African countries. The Gambia's re-export trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China was its largest trade partner for both exports and imports in 2013. In 2012 the IMF renewed an extended credit facility of $28.3 million for three years. Unemployment and underemployment remain high. Economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid on responsible government economic management and on continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders continue to be concerned about the quality of fiscal management. The Gambia's debt interest payments are projected to consume about 31% of government revenue in 2015. Relations with international donors have been tarnished by the country’s human rights record on homosexuality and human trafficking perceptions of graft and a declaration by the president in 2014 that the country would stop using English as the national language.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 180

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 15

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 210

Gross national saving:
Rank: 160

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 92.4%
Government consumption: 8.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 23.8%
Investment in inventories: 0.3%
Exports of goods and services: 28%
Imports of goods and services: -53.1%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.8%
Industry: 11.8%
Services: 65.5%

Agriculture products: rice millet sorghum peanuts corn sesame cassava (manioc tapioca) palm kernels; cattle sheep goats

Industries: peanuts fish hides tourism beverages agricultural machinery assembly woodworking metalworking clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 0.3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 166

Labor force: 777,100 (2007 est.)
Rank: 151
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 6%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 48.4% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 36.9%

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.2 (1998)
Rank: 20

Budget
Revenues: $177.6 million
Expenditures: $242.6 million
Surplus or deficit: -7.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 192

Taxes and other revenues: 19.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 171

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 188

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 29

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 3

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 177

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 178

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 172

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 85

Exports:
Rank: 190
Commodities: peanut products fish cotton lint palm kernels
Partners: China 34.4% India 32.9% UK 8.2% France 4.4% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 193
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactures fuel machinery and transport equipment
Partners: China 31.3% Brazil 8.6% India 7.9% Senegal 7.2% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 159

Debt external:
Rank: 172

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 230 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 182
Consumption: 213.9 million kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 186
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 149
Installed generating capacity: 62,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 183
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 13
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 92
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 171
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 176

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 176
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 116
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 188
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 136

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 146
Products consumption: 3,350 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 180
Products exports: 42 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 121
Products imports: 3,434 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 167

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 134
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 146
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 100
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 196
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 141

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 472,200 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 183

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 55,800
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3
Fixed lines rank: 158
Mobile cellular total: 2.3 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119
Mobile cellular rank: 146

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate microwave radio relay and open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially privatized in 2007
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity aided by multiple mobile-cellular providers is roughly 80 per 100 persons
International: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a landing station for the Africa Coast to Europe undersea fiber-optic cable is scheduled for completion in 2011; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Broadcast media: state-owned single-channel TV service; state-owned radio station and 4 privately owned 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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .gm
Users total: 274,000
Users percent of population: 14.2%
Users rank: 147

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 218
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 3,740 km
Paved: 711 km
Unpaved: 3,029 km
Rank: 160

Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km) (2010)
Rank: 88

Merchant marine
Total: 4
By type: passenger/cargo 3 petroleum tanker 1
Rank: 130

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Banjul


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Disputes 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 11,036 (Senegal) (2014)

Illicit drugs