Gambia
Gambia
The Gambia is a western African nation on the flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills. It borders the North Atlantic Ocean and, but for its coast, is surrounded by the nation of Senegal. The Gambia is smallest country on the continent of Africa. 
The Gambia's major environmental issues include: deforestation; desertification; and water-borne diseases which are prevalent. It is also susceptible to drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years).
The Gambia gained its independence from the United Kingdom 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.
Location of Gambia. Source: Vardion/Wikipedia
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic Coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Area: 11,300 km2 (10,000 land and 1,300 km2 water)
arable land: 27.88%
permanent crops: 0.44%
other: 71.68% (2005)
Land Boundaries: 740 km. Border countries: Senegal 740 km
Coastline: 80 km
Source: CIA World Factbook
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: extent not specified
Natural Hazards: drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)
Terrain: Flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills. Its lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean (0 metres) and its highest point is an unnamed location (53 metres)
Climate: Tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Government
Government Type: Republic
Capital: Banjul
Independence Date: 18 February 1965 (from UK)
Legal System: based on a composite of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
International Environmental Agreements
The Gambia is party to international agreements on: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, and Whaling.
People and Society
Population: 1,735,464 (July 2008 est.)
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 382,385/female 378,853)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 459,315/female 466,689)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 24,303/female 23,919) (2008 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 2.724% (2008 est.)
Birthrate: 38.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death Rate: 11.74 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 54.95 years (2008 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy (2003 est.) : 40.1% (male: 47.8% - female: 32.8%)
Water
Total Renewable Water Resource: 8 cu km (1982)
Freshwater Withdrawal: Total: 0.03 cu km/yr (23% domestic, 12% industrial, 65% agricultural). Per capita: 20 cu m/yr (2000)
Agriculture
Agricultural Products: rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
Irrigated Land: 20 sq km (2003)
Resources
Natural Resources: fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay, petroleum.
Energy
| Energy in Gambia | |||||
| Production | Consumption | Exports | Imports | Reserves | |
| Electricity | 145 million kWh (2005) | 134.9 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | |
| Oil | 0 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 2,030 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 41.5 bbl/day (2004) | 2,050 bbl/day (2004) | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural Gas | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005) | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| source: CIA Factbook | |||||
Health
Major Infectious Diseases: degree of risk: very high from food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. Vectorborne diseases include: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever. The water contact disease schistosomiasis is common as is the espiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)
Conflict
International Disputes: 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 Displaces Persons: refugees (country of origin): 5,955 (Sierra Leone) (2007)
Economy
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 {C}{C}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.
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $2.106 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $653 million (2007 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 7% (2007 est.)
GDP-per capita (PPP): $1,300 (2007 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 32.8%
industry: 8.7%
services: 58.5% (2007 est.)
Industries:processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Exports: peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Export Partners: {C}India 36.5%, {C}China 15%, {C}UK 9%, Indonesia 7.8%, {C}France 4.9%, {C}Belgium 4% (2006)
Imports: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Import Partners: {C}China 24.3%, Senegal 11.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.3%, Brazil 6.7%, Netherlands 5.2% (2006)
Economic Aid Recipient: $58.15 million (2005)
Currency: dalasi (GMD)
Ports and Terminals: Banjul
Further Reading
Citation
Central Intelligence Agency (Lead Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Lakhdar Boukerrou (Topic Editor) "Gambia". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 31, 2009; Last revised Date December 31, 2011; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Gambia>
The Author
The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Securit ... (Full Bio)
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