Nation at a Glance - Gambia

History

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. 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 may re-open under the administration of President

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Border Countries: Senegal 749 km

Total Area: 11,300 sq km Land: 10,120 sq km Water: 1,180 sq km

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

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

Land use: Agricultural land: 56.1% Arable land 41%; Permanent crops 0.5%; Permanent pasture 14.6% Forest: 43.9% Other: 0% (2011 est.)

Ethnic groups: Mandinka/Jahanka 33.8%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 22.1%, Wolof 12.2%, Jola/Karoninka 10.9%, Serahuleh 7%, Serer 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.)

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

Religions: Muslim 95.7%, Christian 4.2%, None 0.1%, No answer 0.1% (2013 est.)

Population: 2,051,363 (July 2017 est.)

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

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

Economy: 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’s GDP contracted in 2016 largely as a result of the limited availability of foreign exchange, weak agricultural output, the border closure with Senegal during the first half of the year, and a slowdown in tourism during the political impasse that occurred at the height of the tourist season. The country faces 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 new government has committed to taking steps to reduce the deficit, including through expenditure caps, debt consolidation, and reform of state-owned enterprises.

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