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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean and Senegal |
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Geographic
coordinates:
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13 28 N, 16 34 W |
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Map
references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 11,300 sq km
land: 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km |
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Area
- comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Delaware |
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Land
boundaries:
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total: 740 km
border countries: Senegal 740 km |
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Coastline:
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80 km |
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Maritime
claims:
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contiguous zone: 18 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November);
cooler, dry season (November to May) |
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Terrain:
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flood plain of the Gambia river flanked by some
low hills |
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Elevation
extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m |
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Natural
resources:
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fish |
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Land
use:
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arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 80% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated
land:
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20 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural
hazards:
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drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last
30 years) |
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Environment
- current issues:
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deforestation; desertification;
water-borne diseases prevalent |
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Environment
- international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate
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 |
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Geography
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Almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest
country on the continent of Africa |
Flag
Description: three
equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
People
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: total population: 53.98
years
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/AIDS: 13,000
(1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,400 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian
Ethnic divisions: 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
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia
Data code: GA
Type of government: 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; The
Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called
for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia,
but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)
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 leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP,
AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Essa B. Sey
chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20005
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson McDONALD
embassy: Fajara, Kairaba Avenue, Banjul
mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391970, 391971
FAX: [220] 392475
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), blue with white edges, and green
Economy
Economic 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 percentage
share: lowest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001
est.)
Labor force: 400,000
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:
capacity: 30,000 kW
production: 75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
consumption per capita: 69.75 million kWh
(2000)
Agriculture: 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)
commodities: peanuts and peanut products,
fish, cotton lint, palm kernels
partners: Benelux 26%, Japan 15%, UK 14%,
Brazil 7% (2000)
Imports:$200.3 million (f.o.b., 2001)
commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel,
machinery and transport equipment
partners: China (including Hong Kong) 18%, UK
10%, Netherlands 8%, France 6%, Brazil 6% (2000)
External debt: $440 million (2001 est.)
Economic aid: $45.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut
Exchange rates: dalasi per US dollar - 15.000
(January 2001), 12.788 (2000), 11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200
(1997) 9.555 (August 1996), 9.576 (1994), 9.129 (1993), 8.888 (1992),
8.803 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,700 km
paved: 956 km
unpaved: 1,744 km (1996)
Waterways: 400 km
Ports: Banjul
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Communications
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)
Defense
Branches: Gambian
National Army (GNA) (includes marine unit), National Police,
Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 327,677 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 165,249 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2
million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.
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