Country:  The Gambia
- Geography
Total area: 11,300 km2; land area: 10,000 km2
 
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
 
Land boundary: 740 km with Senegal
 
Coastline: 80 km
 
Maritime claims:
 
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
 
Continental shelf: not specific;
 
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
 
Territorial sea: 12 nm
 
Disputes: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
 
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
 
Natural resources: fish
 
Land use: 16% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures;
20% forest and woodland; 55% other; includes 3% irrigated
 
Environment: deforestation
 
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent
of Africa
 
- People
Population: 848,147 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
 
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
 
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
 
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
 
Infant mortality rate: 140 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
 
Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male, 50 years female (1990)
 
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
 
Nationality: noun--Gambian(s); adjective--Gambian
 
Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42% Mandinka, 18% Fula, 16% Wolof, 10%
Jola, 9% Serahuli, 4% other); 1% non-Gambian
 
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% Christian, 1% indigenous beliefs
 
Language: English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars
 
Literacy: 25.1%
 
Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.); 75.0% agriculture, 18.9% industry,
commerce, and services, 6.1% government; 55% population of working age (1983)
 
Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor force
 
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of The Gambia
 
Type: republic
 
Capital: Banjul
 
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River,
MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
 
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed
an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called
for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the
agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
 
Constitution: 24 April 1970
 
Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law,
and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
 
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
 
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
 
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
 
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
 
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba
JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since 12
May 1982)
 
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party (PPP),
Dawda K. Jawara, secretary general; National Convention Party (NCP),
Sheriff Dibba; Gambian People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa Camara; United
Party (UP); People's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism
(PDOIS)
 
Suffrage: universal at age 21
 
Elections:
President--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992);
results--Sir Dawda Jawara (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha Dibba (NCP) 25.2%,
Assan Musa Camara (GPP) 13.7%;
 
House of Representatives--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to
be held by March 1992);
results--PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%;
seats--(43 total, 36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5
 
Communists: no Communist party
 
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, IRC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
 
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at
Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005;
telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359;
US--Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Pipeline Road
(Kairaba Avenue), Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19,
Banjul); telephone Serrekunda p220o 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971
 
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges,
and green
 
- Economy
Overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural
resources and has a limited agricultural base. It is one of the world's
poorest countries with a per capita income of about $250. About 75% of
the population is engaged in crop production and livestock raising, which
contributes about 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufacturing
activity--processing peanuts, fish, and hides--accounts for less than
10% of GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The Gambia imports about 33%
of its food, all fuel, and most manufactured goods. Exports are
concentrated on peanut products (over 75% of total value).
 
GDP: $195 million, per capita $250; real growth rate 4.6% (FY89 est.)
 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (FY89 est.)
 
Unemployment rate: NA%
 
Budget: revenues $75 million; expenditures $67 million, including
capital expenditures of $21 million (FY89)
 
Exports: $133 million (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities--peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels;
partners--Ghana 49%, Europe 27%, Japan 12%, US 1% (1986)
 
Imports: $105 million (c.i.f., FY89);
commodities--foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery
and transport equipment;
partners--Europe 55% (EC 39%, other 16%), Asia 20%, US 11%, Senegal 4%
(1986)
 
External debt: $330 million (December 1989 est.)
 
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3% (FY88)
 
Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per
capita (1989)
 
Industries: peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural
machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
 
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and employs about 75% of the
population; imports one-third of food requirements; major export crop is
peanuts; the principal crops--millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava,
palm kernels; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing
resources not fully exploited
 
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $84 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $422 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $39 million
 
Currency: dalasi (plural--dalasi); 1 dalasi (D) = 100 bututs
 
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1--8.3232 (December 1989),
7.5846 (1989), 6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987), 6.9380 (1986), 3.8939 (1985)
 
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
 
- Communications
Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151
km unimproved earth
 
Inland waterways: 400 km
 
Ports: Banjul
 
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
 
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m
 
Telecommunications: adequate network of radio relay and wire; 3,500
telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
 
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, paramilitary Gendarmerie
 
Military manpower: males 15-49, 182,308; 92,001 fit for military service
 
Defense expenditures: NA