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, although tensions flared up intermittently during the regime of Yahya JAMMEH. 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. After 22 years of increasingly authoritarian rule, President JAMMEH was defeated in free and fair elections in December 2016. Due to The Gambia’s poor human rights record under JAMMEH, international development partners had distanced themselves, and substantially reduced aid to the country. These channels are now reopening under the administration of President Adama BARROW, who took office in January 2017.


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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: 166
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
Note: 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
Mean elevation: 34 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 56.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 43.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 0% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 50 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the African mainland


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Population
Distribution: 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: 2,092,731 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 148
Growth rate: 1.99% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 48
Below poverty line: 48.4% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Gambian(s)
Adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: Mandinka/Jahanka 34%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 22.4%, Wolof 12.6%, Jola/Karoninka 10.7%, Serahuleh 6.6%, Serer 3.2%, Manjago 2.1%, Bambara 1%, Creole/Aku Marabout 0.7%, other 0.9%, non-Gambian 5.2%, no answer 0.6% (2013 est.)

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

Religions: Muslim 95.7%, Christian 4.2%, none 0.1%, no response 0.1% (2013 est.)

Demographic profile: The Gambia’s youthful age structure - almost 60% of the population is under the age of 25 - is likely to persist because the country’s total fertility rate remains strong at nearly 4 children per woman. The overall literacy rate is around 55%, and is significantly lower for women than for men. At least 70% of the populace are farmers who are reliant on rain-fed agriculture and cannot afford improved seeds and fertilizers. Crop failures caused by droughts between 2011 and 2013 have increased poverty, food shortages, and malnutrition.The Gambia is a source country for migrants and a transit and destination country for migrants and refugees. Since the 1980s, economic deterioration, drought, and high unemployment, especially among youths, have driven both domestic migration (largely urban) and migration abroad (legal and illegal). Emigrants are largely skilled workers, including doctors and nurses, and provide a significant amount of remittances. The top receiving countries for Gambian emigrants are Spain, the US, Nigeria, Senegal, and the UK. While the Gambia and Spain do not share historic, cultural, or trade ties, rural Gambians have migrated to Spain in large numbers because of its proximity and the availability of jobs in its underground economy (this flow slowed following the onset of Spain’s late 2007 economic crisis).The Gambia’s role as a host country to refugees is a result of wars in several of its neighboring West African countries. Since 2006, refugees from the Casamance conflict in Senegal have replaced their pattern of flight and return with permanent settlement in The Gambia, often moving in with relatives along the Senegal-Gambia border. The strain of providing for about 7,400 Casamance refugees has increased poverty among Gambian villagers.

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.97% (male 388,615 /female 385,172)
15-24 years: 20.31% (male 210,217 /female 214,807)
25-54 years: 34.9% (male 357,934 /female 372,428)
55-64 years: 4.26% (male 42,655 /female 46,591)
65 years and over: 3.55% (male 34,328 /female 39,984) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 92.3 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 87.8 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 22.3 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 21.3 years
Male: 20.9 years
Female: 21.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 184

Population growth rate: 1.99% (2018 est.)
Rank: 48

Birth rate: 28.6 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 43

Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 132

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 158

Population distribution: 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 61.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.07% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population:

Environment
Current issues: deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture; desertification; water pollution; water-borne diseases
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: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 58.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 63.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 52.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 16

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.4 years (2018 est.)
Male: 63 years (2018 est.)
Female: 67.8 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 181

Total fertility rate: 3.42 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 44

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 9% (2013)

Drinking water source
Urban: 5.8% of population
Rural: 15.6% of population
Total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.11 physicians/1000 population (2015)

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

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 38.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 45% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 41.1% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 32
People living with hivaids: 21,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 82
Deaths: 1100 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 63

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10.3% (2016)
Rank: 139

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.4% (2013)
Rank: 36

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 153

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 55.5% (2015 est.)
Male: 63.9% (2015 est.)
Female: 47.6% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years (2010)
Male: 9 years (2010)
Female: 9 years (2010)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Banjul
Geographic coordinates: 13 27 N, 16 34 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 5 regions, 1 city*, and 1 municipality**; Banjul*, Central River, Kanifing**, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, West Coast

Dependent areas

Independence: 18 February 1965 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution
History: previous 1965 (independence act), 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997; note - referendum on new constitution scheduled for late 2019 (2017)
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, 2010 (2017)

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
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2017); Vice President Fatoumata JALLOW-TAMBAJANG (since 23 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2017); Vice President Fatoumata JALLOW-TAMBAJANG (since 23 January 2017)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 1 December 2016 (next to be held in 2021); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Adama BARROW elected president; percent of vote - Adama BARROW (Coalition 2016) 43.3%, Yahya JAMMEH (APRC) 39.6%, Mamma KANDEH (GDC) 17.1%

Legislative branch
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 6 April 2017 (next to be held in 2022)
Election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 37.5%, GDC 17.4%, APRC 16%, PDOIS 9%, NRP 6.3%, PPP 2.5%, other 1.7%, independent 9.6%; seats by party - UDP 31, APRC 5, GDC 5, NRP 5, PDOIS 4, PPP 2, independent 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Fabakary JATTA]Coalition 2016 [collective leadership] (electoral coalition includes UDP, PDOIS, NRP, GMC, GDC, PPP, GPDP)Gambia Democratic Congress or GDC [Mama KANDEH]Gambia Moral Congress or GMC [Mai FATTY]Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress or GPDP [Sarja JARJOU]National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat BAH]People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]People's Progressive Party or PPP [Yaya CEESAY)]United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]

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 Dawda D. FADERA (since 24 January 2018)
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 342-0240
In the us embassy: 5,630 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20,011
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador C. Patricia ALSUP (since 11 January 2016)
From the us embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
From the us mailing address: P.M.B. 19, Banjul
From the us telephone: [220] 439-2,856
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
Lyricsmusic: 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 government has invested in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-third of GDP, making The Gambia largely reliant on sufficient rainfall. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land: is cultivated and agricultural productivity is low. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of cashews, groundnuts, fish, and hides. The Gambia's reexport trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China has been its largest trade partner for both exports and imports for several years.The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about one-fifth of the country’s GDP. The Gambia's location on the ocean and proximity to Europe has made it one of the most frequented tourist destinations in West Africa, boosted by private sector investments in eco-tourism and facilities. Tourism normally brings in about 20% of GDP, but it suffered in 2014 from tourists’ fears of Ebola virus in neighboring West African countries. 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 were concerned about the quality of fiscal management under the administration of former President Yahya JAMMEH, who reportedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars of the country’s funds during his 22 years in power, but anticipate significant improvements under the new administration of President Adama BARROW, who assumed power in early 2017. As of April 2017, the IMF, the World Bank, the European Union, and the African Development Bank were all negotiating with the new government of The Gambia to provide financial support in the coming months to ease the country’s financial crisis.The country faces a limited availability of foreign exchange, weak agricultural output, a border closure with Senegal, a slowdown in tourism, high inflation, a large fiscal deficit, and a high domestic debt burden that has crowded out private sector investment and driven interest rates to new highs. The government has committed to taking steps to reduce the deficit, including through expenditure caps, debt consolidation, and reform of state-owned enterprises.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 176

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 62

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 197

Gross national saving:
Rank: 172

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 90.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -2.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 20.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20.4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 14.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 65.4% (2017 est.)

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: -0.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 175

Labor force: 777,100 (2007 est.)
Rank: 150
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 6% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 36.9% (2003)
Highest 10: 36.9% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.2 (1998)
Rank: 18

Budget
Revenues: 300.4 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 339 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 117

Taxes and other revenues: 20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 148

Public debt:
Rank: 28

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 196

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 31

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 7

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 181

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 184

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 175

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 97

Exports:
Rank: 201
Partners: Guinea-Bissau 51.9%, Vietnam 14.6%, Senegal 8.8%, Mali 7.2% (2017)
Commodities: peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels

Imports:
Rank: 200
Commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Partners: Cote dIvoire 11.5%, Brazil 10.6%, Spain 10.2%, China 7.8%, Russia 6.4%, Netherlands 5.3%, India 5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 179

Debt external:
Rank: 175

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 1.2 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 36% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 60% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 2% (2013)
Production: 304.1 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 182
Consumption: 282.8 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 186
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 138
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 151
Installed generating capacity: 117,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 178
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 34
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 94
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 172
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 125

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 139
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 128
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 131
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 135

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 148
Products consumption: 3,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 185
Products exports: 42 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 122
Products imports: 3,738 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 181

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 136
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 149
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 108
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 129
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 138

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 607,300 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 180

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 37,969 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 162
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2,838,127 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 138 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 141

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate microwave radio relay and open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially privatized but still retaining a monopoly; multiple mobile networks offering effective competition; three licensed ISPs which serve local area without much competion (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line stands at 2 per 100 subscriptions with one dominant company and mobile-cellular teledensity, aided by multiple mobile-cellular providers, is over 138 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a landing station for the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea fiber-optic cable completed in 2011 and launched in 2012; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

Broadcast media: 1 state-run TV-channel; 1 privately-owned TV-station; 1 state-owned radio station and 15 privately owned radio stations; 6 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 (2018)

Internet
Country code: .gm
Users total: 371,785 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 18.5% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 154

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 3,750 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 180


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 77

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: C5 (2016)

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 221
With paved runways total: 1 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 3,740 km (2011)
Paved: 711 km (2011)
Unpaved: 3,029 km (2011)
Rank: 159

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

Merchant marine
Total: 8 (2017)
By type: other 8 (2017)
Rank: 156

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: 8,031 (Senegal) (2018)

Illicit drugs