"text":"The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived Confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential election in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH was elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"13 28 N, 16 34 W"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Africa"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"11,300 sq km"
},
"land":{
"text":"10,120 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"1,180 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"slightly less than twice the size of Delaware"
"text":"30.86 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Death rate":{
"text":"7.15 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Net migration rate":{
"text":"-2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"59.6% of total population (2015)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"4.33% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population":{
"text":"BANJUL (capital) 504,000 (2015)"
},
"Sex ratio":{
"at birth":{
"text":"1.03 male(s)/female"
},
"0-14 years":{
"text":"1.01 male(s)/female"
},
"15-24 years":{
"text":"0.98 male(s)/female"
},
"25-54 years":{
"text":"0.96 male(s)/female"
},
"55-64 years":{
"text":"0.93 male(s)/female"
},
"65 years and over":{
"text":"0.88 male(s)/female"
},
"total population":{
"text":"0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Infant mortality rate":{
"total":{
"text":"63.9 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"male":{
"text":"69.33 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"female":{
"text":"58.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth":{
"total population":{
"text":"64.6 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"62.27 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"67 years (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate":{
"text":"3.73 children born/woman (2015 est.)"
},
"Contraceptive prevalence rate":{
"text":"9% (2013)"
},
"Health expenditures":{
"text":"6% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Physicians density":{
"text":"0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2008)"
},
"Hospital bed density":{
"text":"1.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)"
},
"Drinking water source":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 94.2% of population ++ rural: 84.4% of population ++ total: 90.2% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 5.8% of population ++ rural: 15.6% of population ++ total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 61.5% of population ++ rural: 55% of population ++ total: 58.9% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 38.5% of population ++ rural: 45% of population ++ total: 41.1% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"1.82% (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"20,300 (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"900 (2014 est.)"
},
"Major infectious diseases":{
"degree of risk":{
"text":"very high"
},
"food or waterborne diseases":{
"text":"bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
},
"vectorborne diseases":{
"text":"malaria and dengue fever"
},
"water contact disease":{
"text":"schistosomiasis"
},
"respiratory disease":{
"text":"meningococcal meningitis"
},
"animal contact disease":{
"text":"rabies (2013)"
}
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"9.1% (2014)"
},
"Children under the age of 5 years underweight":{
"text":"17.4% (2010)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"4.1% of GDP (2012)"
},
"Literacy":{
"definition":{
"text":"age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population":{
"text":"55.5%"
},
"male":{
"text":"63.9%"
},
"female":{
"text":"47.6% (2015 est.)"
}
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"9 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"9 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"9 years (2010)"
}
},
"Child labor - children ages 5-14":{
"total number":{
"text":"103,389"
},
"percentage":{
"text":"25% (2006 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of The Gambia"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"The Gambia"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"republic"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Banjul"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"13 27 N, 16 34 W"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western"
},
"Independence":{
"text":"18 February 1965 (from the UK)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Independence Day, 18 February (1965)"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"previous 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
"text":"President Yahya JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"President Yahya JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Cabinet appointed by the president"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 24 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)"
"text":"unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)"
},
"elections":{
"text":"last held on 29 March 2012 (next to be held in 2017)"
"text":"Supreme Court of The Gambia (consists of the chief justice and 6 other justices; court sessions held with 5 justices)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"justices appointed by the president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, a 6-member independent body of high-level judicial officials, a presidential appointee, and a National Assembly appointee; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement age"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Court of Appeal; High Court; Special Criminal Court; Khadis or Muslim courts; district tribunals; magistrates courts"
"text":"National Environment Agency or NEA ++ West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA ++ Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia",
"other":{
"text":"special needs group advocates; teachers and principals"
"text":"Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission Richard T. YONEOKA (since August 2014); note - Ambassador George Staples serves as Charge d'Affaires, but is an adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[220] 439-2475"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green; red stands for the sun and the savannah, blue represents the Gambia River, and green symbolizes forests and agriculture; the white stripes denote unity and peace"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"lion; national colors: red, blue, green, white"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"For The Gambia, Our Homeland\""
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Virginia Julie HOWE/adapted by Jeremy Frederick HOWE"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1965; the music is an adaptation of the traditional Mandinka song \"Foday Kaba Dumbuya\""
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits and a limited agricultural base. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about 20% of the country’s GDP. The government has invested strongly in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-fifth of GDP. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land is cultivated. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger tourist destinations in West Africa, boosted by government and private sector investments in eco-tourism and upscale facilities. Tourism normally brings in about one-fifth of GDP, but suffered in 2014 from tourists’ fears of Ebolavirus in neighboring West African countries. The Gambia's re-export trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China was its largest trade partner for both exports and imports in 2013. In 2012 the IMF renewed an extended credit facility of $28.3 million for three years. Unemployment and underemployment remain high. Economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, and on continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders continue to be concerned about the quality of fiscal management. The Gambia's debt interest payments are projected to consume about 31% of government revenue in 2015. Relations with international donors have been tarnished by the country’s human rights record on homosexuality and human trafficking, perceptions of graft, and a declaration by the president in 2014 that the country would stop using English as the national language."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"472,200 Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"55,800"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"3 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"2.3 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"119 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"adequate microwave radio relay and open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially privatized in 2007"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity, aided by multiple mobile-cellular providers, is roughly 80 per 100 persons"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a landing station for the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea fiber-optic cable is scheduled for completion in 2011; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"state-owned, single-channel TV service; state-owned radio station and 4 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available, some via shortwave radio; cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country (2007)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"1 (government-owned) (1997)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".gm"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"274,000"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"14.2% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"1"
},
"over 3,047 m":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"3,740 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"711 km"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"3,029 km (2011)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"390 km (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km) (2010)"
"text":"Office of the Chief of Defense Staff: Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Republican National Guard (RNG) (2010)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"423,306"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"438,641 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"315,176"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"347,017 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"20,508"
},
"female":{
"text":"20,853 (2010 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"refugees (country of origin)":{
"text":"11,036 (Senegal) (2014)"
}
},
"Trafficking in persons":{
"current situation":{
"text":"The Gambia is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Gambian women, girls, and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited for prostitution and domestic servitude; boys in some Koranic schools are forced into street vending or begging; women, girls, and boys from West African countries are trafficked to The Gambia for sexual exploitation, particularly catering to European tourists seeking sex with children; some Gambian trafficking victims are identified in neighboring West African countries"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"Tier 3 – The Gambia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not report prosecuting or convicting any trafficking offenders in 2013, did not formally identify trafficking victims, and did not indicate whether victims received any government-supported services; a government program continued to provide resources and financial support to 12 Koranic schools on the condition that their students were not forced to beg (2014)"
