 The Gambia
(West Africa,
map) is a small
country with an area of 4,000 square miles or 10,000 sq. km & has its
capital at Banjul. It is
surrounded on all its borders by Senegal except on the Atlantic
Ocean coast. At one time or another in
history it was part the
great Empires of West Africa. |
 Agriculture
Farming is still the country's most important export accounting
for 32% of the gross domestic product, providing employment &
income for 80% of the population, and accounting for 70% of the
country's foreign exchange earnings. |
 Arts
& Crafts
The arts are made up of either genuine and
authentic works or those mass produced and aimed towards the tourist
market. The varieties of works includes items such as damask & batiks
textiles, calabashes, & wooden masks. |
 Climate
The coastal dry season runs from around the middle
of October to the middle of June each year. This time of the year is
characterised by a relatively cool, dry wind called the
Harmattan. |
 Culture
The Gambia is a multi-ethnic society with people from West Africa with different
cultural,
religious and linguistic backgrounds living side by side. People's lives
are marked by a series of rites of passage or traditional rituals. |
 Defence
The army is made up of infantry battalions in the GNG, GNA & the
navy which are under the Department of Defence. Defence
expenditure is 0.5% (2006) of GDP. |
 Economy
The economy is largely dependent on the export of peanuts & its
related products. Other exports include fish, raw cotton & palm
kernels. Annual per capita income is about US$330. |
 Education
Children's lessons are performed in English. Educating children is a
relatively costly experience for most parents. Girls receive some
assistance from the government towards their school fees. |
 Ethnic
Groups
There are at least 8 ethnic groups living in Gambia and
each having its own & sometimes overlapping customs, traditions
and language. |
 Geography
The country is located at the most western edge of West Africa. It is
the African continents smallest country and has a total area of 11,300
square km. |
 Government
The Gambia is a multi-party democratic republic which gained its
independence in 1965. An Executive Presidency was established on
the 24 April, 1970 which was later overturned following the July
22nd coup of 1994.
|
 Health
The healthcare system is based around 3 levels namely: primary,
secondary & tertiary. There are currently 4 referral hospitals which
are government run and well as additional centres including the MRC in
Fajara. |
 History
Ancient pottery artifacts have been found which have been dated to
around 5,500. Agricultural villages & towns with a knowledge of iron
have been unearthed & dated to around AD 500. |
 Languages
There are over 10 languages spoken by local people the majority
of the languages belong to the Niger-Congo linguistic family of the
Atlantic or Congo branches. |
 Travel
& Tourism
It takes just a 6 hour flight to reach The Gambia
from most European airports and it offers a less expensive alternative
holiday destination than the Caribbean. There are 48 km of beach
reaching south from Banjul to Kartong in the south.
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More photos.
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