Facts and Figures About The Gambia
Taken from The
World Factbook
Background: The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965;
it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and
1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. A
military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned political activity,
but a new 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary
balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country
undertook another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001
and early 2002.
Location: 13 28 N, 16 34 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean and Senegal
Flag
Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with
white edges, and green
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and
Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 11,300 sq km
land area: 10,000 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 740 km
border country: Senegal 740 km
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: None
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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 80% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; desertification; water-borne
diseases prevalent
natural hazards: rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30
years
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country
on the continent of Africa
People
Population: 1,641,564 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.3% (male 365,157/female 361,821)
15-64 years: 53% (male 431,627/female 438,159)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 22,889/female 21,911) (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.84% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
39.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.14 years
male: 52.3 years
female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - 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 (2005)
Nationality:
noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian
Ethnic divisions: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola
10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%
Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other
indigenous vernaculars
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.1%
male: 47.8%
female: 32.8% (2003 est.)
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia
Data code: GA
Type of government: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River,
Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK; The Gambia and Senegal
signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of
a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was
dissolved on 30 September 1989)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Constitution: 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved
by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in January 1997
Legal system:based on a composite of English common law, Koranic 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); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the Junta); 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%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected
by popular vote, five appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held NA January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - APRC
45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and
Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's Party-Progressive
People's Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE];
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]
note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed the reregistration
of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned since 1996
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dodou Bammy JAGNE
chancery: Suite 905, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph D. STAFFORD, III
embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone: [220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170
FAX: [220] 439-2475
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white
edges, and green
Economy
Economic overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural
resources 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 Banjul. The government's 1998 seizure of the private
peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts; the
following two marketing seasons have seen substantially lower prices and sales.
A decline in tourism in 2000 has also held back growth. Unemployment and underemployment
rates are extremely high. Shortrun economic progress remains highly dependent
on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic
management as forwarded by IMF technical help and advice, and on expected growth
in the construction sector. Record crops undergirded sturdy growth in 2001.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.034 billion (2005 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 5.5% (2005 est.)
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2005 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.8%
industry: 14.2%
services: 54.9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 400,000 (1996)
by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government
6%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $46.63 million
expenditures: $62.66 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1
million (2005 est.)
Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural
machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 30,000 kW
production: 140 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
consumption: 130.2 million kWh (2003)
Agriculture: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),
palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishery resources not fully exploited
Exports: $140.3 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners: India 40.4%, UK 18.2%, Indonesia 8.3%, Senegal 4.6%, Belgium
4.3% (2005)
Imports:$197 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
partners: China 21.3%, Senegal 11.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.4%, Brazil 6%, US
5.2%, UK 5.1%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $82 million (2005 est.)
External debt: $628.8 million (2003 est.)
Economic aid: $59.8 million (2003)
Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut
Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - - 30.38 (2005), 30.03 (2004),
27.306 (2004), 19.918 (2003), 15.687 (2002), 15.000 (January 2001), 12.788 (2000),
11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997) 9.555 (August 1996), 9.576 (1994),
9.129 (1993), 8.888 (1992), 8.803 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 3,742 km
paved: 723 km
unpaved: 3,019 km (2003)
Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach
190 km) (2004)
Ports: Banjul
Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2006)
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 44,000 (2005) - 31,900 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 247,500 (2005) - 5,624 (2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire
international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios: 196,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (government-owned) (1997)
Televisions: 5,000 (2000)
Internet country code: .gm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2006) - 2 (2001)
Internet users: 49,000 (2005) - 5,000 (2001)
Defense
Branches: Gambian National Army (GNA) (includes marine unit), National
Police, Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 18-49: 311,025
females age 18-49: 316,214 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 183,057
females age 18-49: 194,551 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.4% (2005 est.)
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