Background: The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal it formed a short-lived federation 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 A. J. J. JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996 followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997 completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2006.

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N 16 34 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 11,300 km²
Land: 10,000 km²
Water: 1,300 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 740 km
Border countries: (1) Senegal 740 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 location 53 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 27.88%
Permanent crops: 0.44%
Other: 71.68% (2005)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2003)

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

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

Population: 1,688,359 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 2.781% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Gambian
Adjective: Gambian

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

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

Religions: Muslim 90% Christian 9% indigenous beliefs 1%

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.1% (male 373,831/female 370,397)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 445,365/female 452,311)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 23,582/female 22,873) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 17.8 years
Male: 17.6 years
Female: 17.9 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.781% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 38.86 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 11.99 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.009 male/female
15-64 years: 0.985 male/female
65 years and over: 1.031 male/female
Total population: 0.997 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 70.14 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 76.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 63.54 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 54.54 years
Male: 52.68 years
Female: 56.46 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,800 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 600 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 40.1%
Male: 47.8%
Female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

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 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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: approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective 16 January 1997

Legal system: based on a composite of English common law Islamic 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 he 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); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 22 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%, Halifa SALLAH 6.0%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 25 January 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 47, UDP 4, NADD 1, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC (the ruling party) [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambia People's Democratic Party or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ]; National Alliance for Democracy and Development or NADD [Halifa SALLAH]; 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]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dodou Bammy JAGNE
In the us chancery: Suite 905, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
In the us fax: [1] (202) 785-1430
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph D. STAFFORD, III
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

Economy overview: The Gambia has no confirmed mineral or natural resource deposits 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 The Gambia. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals no plans have been made public that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid on responsible government economic management on continued technical assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors and on expected growth in the construction sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.324 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.5% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2000 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 32.9%
Industry: 9.6%
Services: 57.5% (2006 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 400,000 (1996)
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 6% (1996)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA% (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $113.4 million
Expenditures: $139 million (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $-33 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $135 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: peanut products fish cotton lint palm kernels re-exports
Partners: India 38.5% UK 15.9% Indonesia 7.9% France 7.1% Italy 4.6% (2006)

Imports: $249 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactures fuel machinery and transport equipment
Partners: China 25.2% Senegal 11.2% Cote d'Ivoire 8.1% Brazil 6.5% Netherlands 4.5% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $121 million (2006 est.)

Debt external: $628.8 million (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - 28.3 (2006) 30.38 (2005) 30.03 (2004) 27.306 (2004) 19.918 (2003) 15.687 (2002) 15.687 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 145 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 134.9 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 52,900 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 404,300 (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available
Domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire
International: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Internet
Country code: .gm
Hosts: 6 (2007)
Users: 58,000 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.5% (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Airports: 1 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways
Total: 3,742 km
Paved: 723 km
Unpaved: 3,019 km (2004)

Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2006)

Merchant marine
Total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT
By type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Banjul

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 country of origin: 5,955 (Sierra Leone) (2006)