Gambia, The

§1. Gambia, The Introduction

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, have completed a nominal return to civilian rule.

§2. Gambia, The Geography

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 kmē
  land: 10,000 kmē
  water: 1,300 kmē

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:
  contiguous zone: 18 NM continental shelf: not specified
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
  territorial sea: 12 NM

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

Land use:
  arable land: 18%
  permanent crops: 0%
  permanent pastures: 9%
  forests and woodland: 28%
  other: 45% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  150 kmē (1993 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
    Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Gambia, The People

Population:
  1,411,205 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 45.22% (male 320,458; female 317,647)
  15-64 years: 52.13% (male 364,900; female 370,717)
  65 years and over: 2.65% (male 19,660; female 17,823) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  3.14% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  41.76 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  12.92 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  77.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 53.59 years male: 51.65 years
  female: 55.58 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.68 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  1.95% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  13,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,400 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Gambian(s)
  adjective: Gambian

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: 47.5%
  male: 58.4%
  female: 37.1% (2001 est.)

§4. Gambia, The Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
  conventional short form: The Gambia

Government type:
  republic under multiparty democratic rule

Capital:
  Banjul

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

Independence:
  18 February 1965 (from UK)

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);
    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); note - the
    president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the president
  elections: the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
    the number of terms is not restricted; election last held 26 September
    1996 (next to be held NA October 2001)
  election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH elected president; percent of vote
    - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 55.8%, Ousainou DARBOE 35.8%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (49 seats; 45 elected by popular vote, 4
  appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last popular election held 2 January 1997 (next to be held NA
    January 2002)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - APRC 33,
    UDP 7, NRP 2, PDOIS 1, independents 2

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J.
  J. JAMMEH]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH];
  People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS
  [Sidia JATTA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]
  note: in August 1996 the government banned the following from participation
    in the elections of 1996: People's Progressive Party or PPP [former
    President Dawda K. JAWARA (in exile)], and two opposition parties - the
    National Convention Party or NCP [former Vice President Sheriff DIBBA]
    and the Gambian People's Party or GPP [Hassan Musa CAMARA]

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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE,
  UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John P. BOJANG chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th
    Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador George W. B. HALEY embassy: Fajara, Kairaba
    Avenue, Banjul
  mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
  telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971
  FAX: [220] 392475

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green

§5. Gambia, The Economy

Economy - 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, instability of the Gambian
  dalasi, and the stable political situation in Senegal 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 significantly
  lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism from 1999 to 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.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 21% industry: 12%
  services: 67% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  400,000

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $90.5 million
  expenditures: $80.9 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1 million
    (2001 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  75 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  69.8 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm
  kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishery resources not fully
  exploited

Exports:
  $125.8 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities:
  peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels

Exports - partners:
  Benelux 59%, Japan 20%, UK 7%, Spain 2% (1999)

Imports:
  $202.5 million (f.o.b., 1999)

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

Imports - partners:
  China (including Hong Kong) 49%, UK 15%, Netherlands 11.6%, Brazil 10%,
  Senegal 10% (1997)

Debt - external:
  $440 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $45.4 million (1995)

Currency:
  dalasi (GMD)

Currency code:
  GMD

Exchange rates:
  dalasi per US dollar - 15.000 (January 2001), 12.729 (3d quarter 1999),
  11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Gambia, The Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  31,900 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  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 5, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:
  196,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
  5,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
  .gm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  2 (2001)

Internet users:
  5,000 (2001)

§7. Gambia, The Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 2,700 km
  paved: 956 km
  unpaved: 1,744 km (1996)

Waterways:
  400 km

Ports and harbors:
  Banjul

Merchant marine:
  none (2000 est.)

Airports:
  1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

§8. Gambia, The Military

Military branches:
  Army (includes marine unit), National Police, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 316,873 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 159,764 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $2.6 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2% (FY96/97)

§9. Gambia, The Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
