Brief History

Historically, there is evidence that the first people to settle down in the Gambian land was Jola tribe, an ethnic group that currently makes for 10% of the total population. The Gambia in its true sense came to being an independent entity in the late nineties when a distinction was made between Senegal and The Gambia, before which the geographic region was broadly known is Senegambia.  Prior to that, The Gambia and protectorate was a British colony from 1821 to 1965 in the New Imperialism era. Following a prolonged struggle for independence, The Gambia finally gained independence on 18th February, 1965. 

 

Gambia general information and topography

Situated on the western coast of Africa between the equator and the tropic of cancer, Gambia, is the smallest country in African mainland with a total population of 2.8 million in 2021. With 176 people per square kilometre of land area, it is said to be one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Most of the population (57%) is concentrated around urban and peri-urban centres. Except for its western coast that is situated on a 60 km Atlantic Ocean front, it is surrounded by Senegal, sharing a 600 km long and widely porous boundary with the country. It covers a total land area of approximately 10,689 sq. km. Gambia river, a 700 miles long river in Western Africa, originating in the Republic of Guinea, flows westward through The Gambia into the Atlantic Ocean and is synonymous with fishing and cultivation of rice, millets, etc, making Gambia heavily reliant on agriculture. The Gambia River is also the major trade and transportation route for the country. The Gambia’s capital as well as the administrative centre is near the mouth of the Gambia river in Banjul city which is also the largest city in the country and has a population of 31,000 (approx.).

 

Climate

The climate of this small Sahelian country is somewhat sudano-sahelian type, with a short rainy season from June to October and a long dry season that typically lasts from November to May. Average rainfall generally varies from 1000 mm in the south and southeast to 700 mm in the northern parts of the country in a year. Average temperatures range from 18°C to 30°C during the dry season and 23°C to 33°C during the rainy season.

 

Culture

The people of The Gambia are warm, welcoming and hospitable. Officially, The Gambia consists of eight ethnic groups (Mandinka, Fula, Jola, Wolof, Serer, Serahuli, Manjago, Aku, each with its own traditional language, culture, music, traditions, etc. Mandinka is the largest ethnic society and make up 42% of the population of The Gambia. The languages spoken by these ethnic groups are classified as part of Niger-Congo language group and in totality are a representation of Senegambia society. However, the official language and language of instruction in most schools in The Gambia is English (coming from the fact that Gambia is a former British colony). Approximately 95.7% population follows Islam and the Christian community makes up for 4.2 percent of the population. Religious groups like Ahmadi Muslims, Baha’is, Hindus, and Eckankar members make for less than 1% of the population. The Gambia takes pride in its ability to accept all faith and religions with broad mindedness and is traditionally very tolerant of all religious creeds and beliefs.

 

Economy

The overall economy of The Gambia is agro based with over 60% of Gambians dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture accounted for 19.7% of Gross Domestic Product in 2021 and is mainly driven by women work force. Industry contributed approximately 19.52% of GDP and the services sector contributed about 51.11% 

The Gambian dalasi is the official currency of the country

 

Politics

The Gambia has a multiparty system, where The President is both, the head of state and the head of government. under the constitution that was ratified in 1996 and went into effect in 1997. The president appoints the vice president and cabinet members. Currently, there are a total of 23 ministries, ministerial portfolios and agencies in the Government of Gambia.

• Agriculture Ministry

• Central Statistics Department

• Communication and IT department (MoICI)

• Education Ministry (Basic and Secondary)

• Energy Ministry

• Finance & Economic Affairs Ministry

• Ministry of Fisheries & Water Resources

• Foreign Affairs Ministry (MOFA)

• Ministry of Forestry & Environment (MOFEN)

• Health & Social Welfare Ministry

• Higher Education Ministry (MoHERST)

• Immigration & Nationality Department (GID)

• Interior Ministry

• Justice Ministry

• Lands & Regional Government Ministry

• Parks & Wildlife Management Department

• Petroleum Ministry

• President’s Office

• Tourism & Culture Ministry

• Trade, Regional Integration & Employment Ministry

• Works, Construction & Infrastructure Ministry

• Youth & Sports Ministry (MOYS)

• Women’s Affairs Department

 

Time

Time in the Gambia is given by a single time zone, denoted as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT; UTC±00:00)