Brikama, The Gambia

 

About The Gambia

The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa--about 5,300 square miles or twice the size of Delaware. This West African nation offers 50 miles of Atlantic coastline (to its West) and neighbors Senegal on its remaining borders. The national borders outline a narrow strip on either side of the River Gambia, a body of water that has played a vital part in the nation's history and is known locally simply as "The River."

Although Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, its culture is the product of very diverse influences carried there by The River and the ocean. Without natural barriers, The Gambia has become home to 1.7 million people from most of the ethnic groups that are present throughout Western Africa. Europeans also figure prominently in the nation's history because the River Gambia is navigable deep into the continent, a geographic feature that made this area one of the most profitable sites for the slave trade from the 15th through the 17th centuries. (It also made it strategic to the halt of this trade once it was outlawed in the 19th century.) Some of this history was popularized in the Alex Haley book and TV series Roots, which was set in The Gambia.

The Gambia plays an active role in international affairs, especially West African and Islamic affairs. As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia has played an active role in that organization's efforts to resolve the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and contributed troops to the community's ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG) in 1990 and (ECOMIL) in 2003. It also has sought to mediate disputes in nearby Guinea-Bissau and the neighboring Casamance region of Senegal.

The Gambia's motto is "Progress, Peace, Prosperity."

 

Quick Facts

  • An agriculturally rich country, its economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and tourism. About a third of the population live below the international poverty line of U.S. $1.25 a day
  • Currently 82 Peace Corp volunteers in The Gambia
  • Gambians live in “compounds” with extended families
  • The climate in The Gambia is tropical with a period of hot weather and a very rainy season June through November. Cool temperatures and the dry season generally runs November until May.
  • The Gambia diet includes much fish and peanut based sauces

  • Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 90 percent of the country's population. Residing in the western and the southern parts of the Gambia, most of the Christian community identify themselves as Roman Catholic, however, there are other Christian groups present in smaller numbers, such as Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses and evangelical churches.

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Did you Know?

Economy
• GDP 167th of 180 countries (IMF)
• Rich agriculture and fishing

Population
• English speaking
• Friendly and Cheerful
• 1/3 below $1.25/day
• 90% practice Islam

Logistics
• Paved coastal roads
• Unpaved roads follow river
• Ferries to cross river
• 55% pop. live in coastal
region south of the river