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. A presidential election is scheduled for December 2016.

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

13 28 N, 16 34 W

Africa

slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

80 km

tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

highest point: unnamed elevation 53 m

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

arable land 41%; permanent crops 0.5%; permanent pasture 14.6%

50 sq km (2012)

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

deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country in Africa

2,009,648 (July 2016 est.)

Mandinka/Jahanka 33.8%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 22.1%, Wollof 12.2%, Jola/Karoninka 10.9%, Serahuleh 7%, Serere 3.2%, Manjago 2.1%, Bambara 1%, Creole/Aku Marabout 0.8%, other 0.9%, non-Gambian 5.2%, no answer 0.7% (2013 est.)

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

Muslim 95.7%, Christian 4.2%, none 0.1%, no answer 0.1% (2013 est.)

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.

2.11% (2016 est.)

30.1 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

BANJUL (capital) 504,000 (2015)

20.9

706 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

3.63 children born/woman (2016 est.)

9% (2013)

7.3% of GDP (2014)

0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 94.2% of population

rural: 84.4% of population

total: 90.2% of population

urban: 5.8% of population

rural: 15.6% of population

total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 61.5% of population

rural: 55% of population

total: 58.9% of population

urban: 38.5% of population

rural: 45% of population

total: 41.1% of population (2015 est.)

1.82% (2015 est.)

20,500 (2015 est.)

1,000 (2015 est.)

9.1% (2014)

16.4% (2013)

2.8% of GDP (2013)

presidential republic

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

18 February 1965 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

previous 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997; amended several times, last in 2010 (2016)

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya JAMMEH]

Gambia Moral Congress or GMC [Mai FATTY]

Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ]

National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat BAH]

National Convention Party or NCP [Ebrima Janko SANYANG]

People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Halifa SALLAH]

People's Progressive Party or PPP [Omar JALLOW]

United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]

The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations or TANGO

Female Lawyers Association of Gambia or FLAG

Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices or GAMCOTRAP

Gambia Press Union or GPU

West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA

Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia

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

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

lion; national colors: red, blue, green, white

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 another 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 re-export 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 and a limited agricultural base. 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 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 20% of GDP, but 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 continue to be concerned about the quality of fiscal management. The IMF provided $10.8 million in emergency financial assistance to The Gambia in April 2015 to shore up the country’s finances. Relations with international donors have been tarnished by the country’s human rights record.

$3.261 billion (2015 est.)

$3.124 billion (2014 est.)

$3.131 billion (2013 est.)

$893 million (2015 est.)

4.4% (2015 est.)

-0.2% (2014 est.)

4.8% (2013 est.)

$1,600 (2015 est.)

$1,600 (2014 est.)

$1,700 (2013 est.)

4% of GDP (2015 est.)

6.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

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

peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

4% (2015 est.)

777,100 (2007 est.)

NA%

48.4% (2010 est.)

50.2 (1998)

23.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

-8% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

6.9% (2015 est.)

5.9% (2014 est.)

9% (31 December 2009)

11% (31 December 2008)

30.8% (31 December 2015 est.)

28.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

$275.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$231.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$534.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$511.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$466.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$421 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$NA

-$136 million (2015 est.)

-$90 million (2014 est.)

$113.2 million (2015 est.)

$121.5 million (2014 est.)

peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels

China 47.6%, India 27.2%, France 5.9%, UK 4.9% (2015)

$365.1 million (2015 est.)

$339 million (2014 est.)

foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

China 34.2%, Brazil 8.1%, Senegal 6.9%, India 5.7%, Netherlands 4.8% (2015)

$83.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$159.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$500.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

dalasis (GMD) per US dollar -

41.89 (2015 est.)

41.733 (2014 est.)

41.733 (2013 est.)

32.08 (2012 est.)

29.4615 (2011 est.)

300 million kWh (2014 est.)

300 million kWh (2014 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

91,000 kW (2014 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

3,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

41.62 bbl/day (2013 est.)

3,552 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

500,000 Mt (2013 est.)

state-owned, single-channel TV service; 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 (2015)

.gm

C5 (2016)

1 (2013)

390 km (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km) (2010)

Office of the Chief of Defense Staff: Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Republican National Guard (RNG) (2010)

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

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