From CIA World Factbook 2002 :
Gambia, The
Introduction Gambia, The
------------------------
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, completed a
nominal return to civilian rule. The
country undertook another round of
presidential and legislative
elections in late 2001 and early
2002.
Geography 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: contiguous zone: 18 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 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: 19.5%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 80% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, 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
People Gambia, The
------------------
Population: 1,455,842 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.1% (male 329,530;
female 326,627)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 377,357;
female 383,548)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male
20,237; female 18,543) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.09% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 41.25 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 12.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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: 1.09 male(s)/
female
total population: 1 male(s)/female
(2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 76.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.98 years
female: 56.01 years (2002 est.)
male: 52.02 years
Total fertility rate: 5.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.95% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 13,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
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.)
Government Gambia, The
----------------------
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*,
Central River, Lower 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;
note - from 1994 to 1996 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; note - from 1994 to 1996 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
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a five-year term;
the number of terms is not
restricted; election last held 18
October 2001 (next to be held NA
October 2006)
election results: Yahya A. J. J.
JAMMEH reelected president; percent
of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH
52.9%, Ousainou DARBOE 32.7%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (53
seats; 48 elected by popular vote,
five appointed by the president;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002
(next to be held NA January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - APRC
45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation
and Construction or APRC [Yahya A.
J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's
Party-Progressive People's Party-
United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-
UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE];
National Convention Party or NCP
[Sheriff DIBBA]; National
Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat
N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic
Organization for Independence and
Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]
note: in August 2001, an independent
electoral commission allowed the
reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and
PPP, three parties banned since 1996
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO,
participation: G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, 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
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson
US: McDONALD
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
Economy Gambia, The
-------------------
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, and instability of
the Gambian dalasi (currency) 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 substantially lower prices and
sales. A decline in tourism in 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. Record
crops undergirded sturdy growth in
2001.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.5
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,770
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21%
industry: 12%
services: 67% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001 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 (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 69.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice,
corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),
palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats;
forest and fishery resources not
fully exploited
Exports: $139.2 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: peanuts and peanut products, fish,
cotton lint, palm kernels
Exports - partners: Benelux 26%, Japan 15%, UK 14%,
Brazil 7% (2000)
Imports: $200.3 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel,
machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners: China (including Hong Kong) 18%, UK
10%, Netherlands 8%, France 6%,
Brazil 6% (2000)
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), 12.788 (2000),
11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200
(1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Gambia, The
--------------------------
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 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
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)
Transportation Gambia, The
--------------------------
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 (2002 est.)
Airports: 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Military Gambia, The
--------------------
Military branches: Gambian National Army (GNA)
(includes marine unit), National
Police, Presidential Guard
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 327,677 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 165,249 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $1.2 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 0.3% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Gambia, The
--------------------------------
Disputes - international: none