Gambia, The

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Introduction - Gambia, The:
Country	Gambia, The


Background	The Gambia gained its independence from the UK 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 - Gambia, The:
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates	13 28 N, 16 34 W

Map references	Africa

Area	total: 11,300 sq km land: 10,000 sq km water: 1,300 sq km

Area comparative	slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries	total: 740 km border countries: Senegal 740 km

Coastline	80 km

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: extent not specified

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

Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 53 m

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

Land use	arable land: 27.88% permanent crops: 0.44% other: 71.68% (2005)

Irrigated land	20 sq km (2003)

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

Environment current issues	deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

Environment international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography note	almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

People - Gambia, The:
Population	1,688,359 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 44.1% (male 373,831/female 370,397) 15-64 years: 53.2% (male 445,365/female 452,311) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 23,582/female 22,873) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 17.8 years male: 17.6 years female: 17.9 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	2.781% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	38.86 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	11.99 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.009 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.031 male(s)/female total population: 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 70.14 deaths/1,000 live births male: 76.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 63.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.54 years male: 52.68 years female: 56.46 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	5.21 children born/woman (2007 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.)

Nationality	noun: Gambian(s) adjective: Gambian

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 (2007)

Ethnic groups	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 - Gambia, The:
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia conventional short form: The Gambia

Government type	republic

Capital	name: Banjul geographic coordinates: 13 27 N, 16 34 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence	18 February 1965 (from UK)

National holiday	Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution	approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective 16 January 1997

Legal system	based on a composite of English common law, Islamic 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); 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%, Halifa SALLAH 6.0%

Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 members elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 January 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APRC 47, UDP 4, NADD 1, independent 1

Judicial branch	Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders	Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC (the ruling party) [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambia Peoples Democratic Party or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ]; National Alliance for Democracy and Development or NADD [Halifa SALLAH]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]

Political pressure groups and leaders	NA

International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the 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

Diplomatic representation from the us	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 description	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green

Economy - Gambia, The:
Economy overview	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 Gambias natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The governments 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	$3.284 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$462.5 million (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	5.3% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$2,000 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 30.5% industry: 13.9% services: 55.6% (2006 est.)

Labor force	400,000 (1996)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 75% industry: 19% services: 6%

Unemployment rate	NA%

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	14% (2006 est.)

Investment gross fixed	20.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget	revenues: $112.7 million expenditures: $155.1 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2006 est.)

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

Industries	processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

Industrial production growth rate	NA%

Electricity production	145 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	134.9 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	2,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance	-$54.61 million (2006 est.)

Exports	$130.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports commodities	peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports

Exports partners	India 36.8%, UK 15.1%, Indonesia 7.5%, France 6.8%, Italy 4.3%, Senegal 4.2% (2006)

Imports	$212.2 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports commodities	foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

Imports partners	China 25%, Senegal 12.6%, Cote dIvoire 8%, Brazil 6.2%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$88.11 million (2006 est.)

Debt external	$628.8 million (2003 est.)

Economic aid recipient	$59.8 million (2003)

Currency code	dalasi (GMD)

Exchange rates	dalasi per US dollar - 28.3 (2006), 30.38 (2005), 30.03 (2004), 27.306 (2004), 19.918 (2003), 15.687 (2002), 15.687 (2001)

Communications - Gambia, The:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	52,900 (2006)

Telephones mobile cellular	404,300 (2006)

Telephone system	general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)

Television broadcast stations	1 (government-owned) (1997)

Internet country code	.gm

Internet hosts	14 (2006)

Internet users	58,000 (2005)

Transportation - Gambia, The:
Airports	1 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways	total: 3,742 km paved: 723 km unpaved: 3,019 km (2004)

Waterways	390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2006)

Merchant marine	total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT by type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2006)

Ports and terminals	Banjul

Military - Gambia, The:
Military branches	Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Gambian National Guard (includes Presidential Guard) (2007)

Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 311,025 females age 18-49: 316,214 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 183,057 females age 18-49: 194,551 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	0.5% (2006)

Disputes international	attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegals Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states