Flowing through the centre of the country and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean is the Gambia River. On 18 February 1965, The Gambia was granted independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is its capital but the largest conurbation is Serekunda.
Geography
The Gambia is a very small and narrow country whose borders mirror the meandering Gambia River. The country is less than 48 km wide, with a total area of 11,300 km². Its present boundaries were defined in 1889 after an agreement between the United Kingdom and France.
It is almost an enclave of Senegal, and is the smallest country on the continent of Africa. Divisions and districts
The Gambia is divided into five divisions and one city. These are:
Lower River (Mansa Konko) Central River (Janjanbureh) Banjul (East Banjul,Banjul, Central Banjul, Bakau, West Banjul Serrekunda)
The national capital, Banjul, is classified as a city.
The divisions are further subdivided into 37 districts. Of these, Kombo Saint Mary (which shares Brikama as a capital with the Western division) may have been administratively merged with the greater Banjul area.
Demographics
A wide variety of ethnic groups live in The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal friction, each preserving its own language and traditions. The Mandinka tribe is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, and Serahule.
The approximately 3,500 non-African residents include Europeans and families of Lebanese origin (roughly 0.23% of the total population).
Muslims constitute more than 90% of the population. Christians of different denominations account for most of the remainder. Gambians officially observe the holidays of both religions.
More than 63% of Gambians live in rural villages (1993 census), although more and more young people come to the capital in search of work and education.
Provisional figures from the 2003 census show that the gap between the urban and rural populations is narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral parts of everyday life. Economy
The Gambia has a liberal, market-based economy characterized by traditional subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance on groundnuts (peanuts) for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry.
Agriculture accounts for 29% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 75% of the labour force. Within agriculture, peanut production accounts for 6.9% of GDP, other crops 8.3%, livestock 5.3%, fishing 1.8%, and forestry 0.5%. Industry accounts for 12% of GDP.
Manufacturing, which accounts for 5.5% of GDP, is primarily agriculturally based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, breweries, tanneries, etc.). Other manufacturing activities include soap, soft drinks, and clothing. Services account for 19% of GDP. The UK and the other EU countries (Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium) were the major source of imports, at 60% of the total share of imports, followed by Asia at 23%, and Cote d'Ivoire and other African countries at 17%. The Gambia reports 11% of its exports going to and 14.6% of its imports coming from the United States.
Tourism
The tourism industry today in The Gambia started when a party of 300 Swedish tourists arrived in 1965.[1] That pioneering trip was organized by a Swede named Bertil Harding together with the tour operators Vingresor.
It was seen as an ideal place to escape the harsh winter months of Scandinavia where Europeans would enjoy not only sun, sand and beaches but also experience the excitement of a real African holiday.
Moreover due to its proximity to Europe, it also offered new opening for an affordable holiday to increasing numbers of traveling Europeans. The number of visitors increased from 300 tourists in 1965 to 25,000 visitors in 1976. The number of tourists has continued to rise sharply throughout the years, and as the government is eager to diversify the economy, it recognized tourism as a potential major foreign exchange source of revenue. However, despite increasing popularity as a tourist destination, infrastructure development has been slow.
Other facts
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