The Gambia

In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia. <br><br>The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won reelection in 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported democracy-strengthening activities, capacity building, economic development, and security sector education and training programs.

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

13 28 N, 16 34 W

Africa

slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

80 km

tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

fish, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon

50 sq km (2012)

Gambia river mouth (shared with Senegal and Guinea [s]) - 1,094 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River; the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

droughts

almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the African mainland

Mandinka/Jahanka 33.3%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 18.2%, Wolof 12.9%, Jola/Karoninka 11%, Serahuleh 7.2%, Serer 3.5%, other 4%, non-Gambian 9.9% (2019-20 est.)

English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.)

2.09% (2025 est.)

26.49 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River; the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

481,000 BANJUL (capital) (2023)

20.7 years (2019/20 est.)

354 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

3.39 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.67 (2025 est.)

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

1.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

10.3% (2016)

11.6% (2020 est.)

63% (2020 est.)

deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture; desertification; water pollution; water-borne diseases

tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

34.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

5 regions, 1 city*, and 1 municipality**; Banjul*, Central River, Kanifing**, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, West Coast

mixed system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC <br>Gambia Democratic Congress or GDC <br>Gambia Moral Congress or GMC <br>National People's Party or NPP <br>People's Progressive Party or PPP <br>United Democratic Party or UDP 

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

18 February 1965 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> red stands for the sun and the savannah, blue for the Gambia River, and green for forests and agriculture; the white stripes denote unity and peace

lion

red, blue, green, white

low-income West African economy; agriculture-dominant; high poverty rate; heightened inflation; dependent on foreign assistance and remittances; structural reforms conditioned by IMF Extended Credit Facility program

$2.508 billion (2024 est.)

rice, groundnuts, milk, millet, oil palm fruit, maize, vegetables, cassava, fruits, sorghum (2023)

peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

2.4% (2024 est.)

783,100 (2024 est.)

53.4% (2020 est.)

Kazakhstan 92%, Guinea-Bissau 2%, China 1%, India 1%, Greece 1% (2023)

packaged medicine, cars, harvesting machinery, refined petroleum, trailers (2023)

Kazakhstan 26%, China 18%, Senegal 8%, India 7%, Brazil 4% (2023)

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cotton fabric, iron alloys, rice (2023)

1 state-run TV-channel; one privately owned TV station; 1 online TV station; 3 state-owned and 31 privately owned radio stations; 8 community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available; cable and satellite TV subscription services in some parts of the country (2019)

.gm

C5

1 (2025)

Gambian Armed Forces (GAF; aka Armed Forces of the Gambia): the Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambia Navy, Gambia Air Force, Republican National Guard (RNG)<br><br>Ministry of Interior: Gambia Police Force (GPF) (2025)

estimated 3,000-4,000 active Gambian Armed Forces (2025)

the military of Gambia has a limited inventory of mostly older, obsolescent, or donated equipment originating from several suppliers, including Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, and the US (2025)

18-28 years of age for men and women depending on enlisted, officer, or specialized positions (2025)

the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) are responsible for external defense and aiding civil authorities in internal emergencies and natural disaster relief; they participate in multinational peacekeeping missions, as well as domestic support activities such as agricultural development, construction, education, and health services; the Gambian security forces have a history of involvement in domestic politics, including multiple coup attempts and mutinies, with the latest being an attempted coup in 2022<br><br>since January 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have provided security forces for Gambia's stability, plus assistance and training for the GAF and other Gambian security forces through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG); as of 2025, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG (2025)