Gambia info

---

LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of the Gambia is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within the African continent and is entirely surrounded by Senegal, with the Gambia River emptying into the Atlantic Ocean in its centre. In1965, The Gambia became independent from the British Empire. Banjul is the capital of the Gambia.

---

---

CLIMATE: Gambia has a tropical climate with a hot wet season between June to November alternating with a cool dry season from November to May. During the dry season the Harmattan, a dry and dust laden wind blows from the Sahara Desert in the northeast. Average annual precipitation in Banjul is 1,295 mm and average temperature ranges are from 15 to 31 degrees Celsius (59 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 23 to 32 degrees Celsius (73 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

---

PEOPLE: The principal ethnic majority are the Mandinka who account for 40% of the population while the Fula account for 19%, the Wolof for 15%, the Pyola for 10%, the Soninke for 8% and others including non-Gambians account for around 8%. The non-Gambians include British, Syrians, Lebanese and Asians.

---

DEMOGRAPHIC/VITAL STATISTICS: Density; 103 persons per sq km (266 persons per sq mi) (1991). Urban-Rural; 21.5% urban, 78.5% rural (1988). Sex Distribution; 49.4% male, 50.6% female (1990). Life Expectancy at Birth; 41.4 years male, 44.6 years female (1990). Age Breakdown; 44% under 15, 25% 15 to 29, 16% 30 to 44, 10% 45 to 59, 5% 60 and over (1990). Birth Rate; 47.4 per 1,000 (1990). Death Rate; 21.4 per 1,000 (1990). Increase Rate; 26.0 per 1,000 (1990). Infant Mortality Rate; 143.0 per 1,000 live births (1990).

---

RELIGIONS: Around 85% of the population are Sunni Muslims while Christians are estimated to account for less than 4% of the population with the remainder following local native tribal beliefs.

---

LANGUAGES: The official language is English, although less than 2% of the population can speak it while the national languages are Wolof, Fula and Madinka.

---

EDUCATION: Aged 20 or over and having attained: no formal schooling 90.8%, primary 6.2%, secondary 2.6%, higher 0.4% (1973). Literacy; literate population aged 15 or over 27.2% (1990).

---

CURRENCY: The official currency is the Dalasi (D) divided into 100 Bututs.            

 CHANGING MONEY: You can change money in most hotels and there are plenty of banks and bureau de changes that render the same service. Rates vary from place to place. That also goes for traveller's cheques.

 

CREDIT CARDS: Usable in some shops, in hotels, for booking excursions and car hire, but there is no quarantee. It is always the best to have some cash with you.

 

---

ECONOMY: Gross National Product; USD $372,000,000 (1993). Public Debt; USD $348,800,000 (1993). Imports; D 2,363,486,000 (1993). Exports; D 543,751,000 (1993). Tourism Receipts; USD $26,000,000 (1993). Balance of Trade; D -1,675,900,000 (1992). Economically Active Population; 412,000 or 47.2% of total population (1992). Unemployed; N/A.

---

MAIN TRADING PARTNERS: Its main trading partners are the UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Senegal.

MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS: Cassava, Cattle, Fish, Ground Nuts, Millet, Palm Kernels, Rice, Timber.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Agriculture, Fishing, Food Processing, Forestry.

MAIN EXPORTS: Fish, Ground Nuts and Processed Products, Hides and Skins.

---

TRANSPORT: Railroads; nil. Roads; length 2,388 km (1,484 mi) (1986). Vehicles; cars 5,500 (1989), trucks and buses 1,000 (1989). Merchant Marine; vessels 8 (1990), deadweight tonnage 1,651 (1990). Air Transport; N/A.

---

GDP(per capita)  1,800
Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing

Official language	English, Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, others
Capital	Banjul
Largest city	Serrekunda
President	Alhaji Yahya Jammeh
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 158th 10,380 km² 11.5%
Population  - Total  - Density	Ranked 145th 1,367,124 (July 2000 est.) 132/km²
HDI (2003)	0.470 (155th) – low
Independence  - Date	From the United Kingdom February 18, 1965
Currency	Dalasi (D)
Time zone	UTC
National anthem	For The Gambia Our Homeland
Internet TLD	.gm
Calling Code	220