Country Information on The Gambia 

Terrain

The Gambia stretches some 375 km inland from the Atlantic along both sides of the river of the same name. At its widest point, the country is only about 50 km wide, and at its narrowest, only 3 km. The river is lined with mangrove swamps.

Climate

The Gambia has a humid and subtropical climate. Seasonal temperature variations are small along the coast, but increase inland. The hot, dry and dusty Harmattan wind blows in from the Sahara between December and April.

Inland, the temperature fluctuates between 7 and 43°C over the course of the year. The rainy season lasts from June to October and annual precipitation is between 1,300 and 1,600 mm.

Fauna/Flora

The country stretches along both sides of the River Gambia, which runs through it from east to west. The banks of the river are dominated by mangroves at its mouth, which turn into flooded grassland inland.

Leopards, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and various species of antelope are found in the country. Ninety-one percent of The Gambia's forests were felled for agricultural purposes or to obtain firewood. This led to the decimation of many species of big game animals. Since then, several areas have become nature reserves.

History/Politics

The first human settlements in the area of present-day Gambia date back 10,000 years. However, urban settlements were only founded between the 2nd and 5th centuries AD. In the 15th century, the area was colonized by the Mandinka and the Kingdom of Mali, which led to the establishment of numerous kingdoms that controlled trade in coastal areas.

In 1455, Portuguese explorers reached the region and soon established trading posts, turning the area into an important centre for the trade in precious metals and a prosperous Portuguese enclave on the route to the east. In 1618, Portugal sold its trading rights to the British who turned it into a "supplier" of slaves for the slave trade. Religious wars in the 19th century led to simultaneous Islamization of the country and immigration of Muslims from other areas. Gambia lost its economic importance when the slave trade was abolished.

Although Gambia officially became a British colony in 1821, it was not encouraged to develop, which meant that it was neglected for the rest of the century. The first political parties such the People's Progressive Party were formed after World War II. In 1954, Gambia gained autonomy and the first semi-autonomous elections were held in 1962. The Gambia finally became independent in 1965.

Sir Dawda K. Jawara won the elections in 1970, proclaimed a republic and introduced a presidential government system. He remained in power until July 1994. In 1982, Senegal and The Gambia created the Confederation of Senegambia with Senegalese President Abdou Diouf as president and Sir Jawara as vice-president.

The confederation collapsed in 1989, but a new treaty of friendship was signed in 1991. A group of young officers overthrew Jawara' and took control of the country in 1994. The coup leaders formed a transitional government, the Provisional Ruling Military Council of Patriotic Forces (PRCPF), led by Yahya Jammeh, who arrested some of his comrades on charges of promoting democratic reform two years later.

Despite the fact that the European Union and Great Britain, the country's largest sources of development aid, put pressure on the PRCPF and called for the restoration of democracy, this did not happen until October 1994, when they suspended development aid. There would be new elections under a new constitution within four years. Jammeh won the presidential elections in 1996 and implemented some reforms under international pressure. Jammeh was re-elected in 2001. In February 2004, the president announced in a televised speech that large reserves of petroleum had been discovered in the country.

Economy

About 75% of the economically active population are employed in agriculture. The cultivation of rice and millet, and the raising of cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens are important for subsistence farming. Peanuts are mainly grown for export; the sale of peanuts and peanut products accounts for approximately one third of the annual income from exports.

The government has promoted the cultivation of sisal, citrus fruits and tobacco to increase the variety of agricultural products. On the coast fishing is widespread. The major industries are the processing of peanut, fish, hides, beverages and wood, metalworking, the textiles industry, as well as agricultural machines assembly and tourism. There was a brief decline in tourism after the military coup in 1994, but the sector recovered soon afterwards. The inflation rate reached 13% in 2003.

Culture

Public holidays in The Gambia include New Year's Day (1 January), Independence Day (18 February), Easter (including Good Friday), Labour Day (1 May), and Christmas (25 December). Most of these holidays (except Labour Day) are celebrated with traditional dances and local wrestling competitions.

Public Islamic holidays include Eid al-Fitr (Koriteh in Wolof; a three-day celebration at the end of Ramadan), Id-el-Kabir (Tobaski in Wolof; a sacrificial celebration in connection with a pilgrimage to Mecca every summer), and Maulud-el-Nabi (Gammo in Wolof; Mohammed's birthday). The Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and so their dates differ from year to year.

The Gambia has a great artistic tradition of music. For many decades, musicians and street-singers have kept alive the tales of families and clans, giving peoples such as the Wolof and Mandinka their strong sense of history and identity. The most important instrument for accompanying is the kora, and the Mandinka are particularly noted for their skill in making these instruments.