The Gambia, country in western Africa situated on the Atlantic coast and surrounded by the neighbouring country of Senegal. It occupies a long narrow strip of land that surrounds the Gambia River. The land is flat and is dominated by the river, which is navigable throughout the length of the country.
The peculiar shape and size of the country are the result of territorial compromises made during the 19th century by Great Britain, which controlled the lower Gambia River, and France, which ruled the neighbouring colony of Senegal. Periodic talks in the 20th century to unite The Gambia and Senegal led to the short-lived Senegambia confederation (1982–89).
The Gambia is Africa’s smallest nonisland country. It is also one of Africa’s most densely populated countries. A few towns are located upriver, but most Gambians live in rural villages. The major ethnic groups are similar to those in Senegal and consist of the majority Malinke and also include Wolof, Fulani (Fulbe), Diola (Jola), and Soninke peoples. The Gambian economy is heavily dependent on peanut (groundnut) production and export.
The country is known for the beaches along its small Atlantic coastline and for being home to Jufureh (Juffure), the reputed ancestral village of Kunta Kinte, the main character in Alex Haley’s well-known novel Roots. The capital, Banjul (called Bathurst until 1973), is situated where the Gambia River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The vegetation cover of The Gambia is savanna on the uplands, various kinds of inland swamp in the low-lying areas, and mangrove swamp along the brackish lower Gambia River. Few wild animals are native to the region, and those that survive are under pressure from the human and domestic animal populations. In the middle and upper river areas there are warthogs, monkeys, baboons, antelope, pygmy hippopotamuses, and crocodiles. In addition, more than 500 species of birds live throughout the country. Birds and wildlife can be found in Bijilo Forest Park, along the Atlantic coast, the Abuko Nature Reserve, just upriver from Banjul, Kiang West National Park, farther inland, and River Gambia National Park (also known as Baboon Island National Park), near Kuntaur.
The river basin was a focal point for migrating groups of people escaping the turmoil of western Sudanic wars dating from the 12th century. The Diola (Jola) are the people longest resident in the country; they are now located mostly in western Gambia. The largest group is the Malinke, comprising about one-third of the population. The Wolof, who are the dominant group in Senegal, also predominate in Banjul. The Fulani settled the extreme upriver areas, and their kingdom, Fuladu, became a major power in the late 19th century. The Soninke, an admixture of Malinke and Fulani, are also concentrated in the upriver areas.
English is the official language, but the most frequently spoken languages are generally of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. Mandinka and Wolof constitute the lingua francas of the country, and other languages spoken include Pulaar (Fulbe), Serer, Diola, and Soninke. Some Muslim clerics are literate in Arabic.
The population is overwhelmingly Muslim. There are a small number of Christians—predominantly Roman Catholic—and some adherents of traditional beliefs.
Gambian agriculture can be described as a classic monoculture; peanuts (groundnuts) are the most valuable agricultural commodity. Land is cleared by the slash-and-burn technique, but farmers practice conservation. Most land is held in common by the villagers. There is a sharp division of labour, with men involved in planting, cultivating, and harvesting cash crops while women cultivate subsistence crops such as cassava (manioc), yams, eggplant, tomatoes, rice, and lentils. There are citrus orchards in the western area near Banjul.
The production of peanuts has increased with the wider use of fertilizers and ox-drawn equipment and the introduction of better seeds. In order to diversify the economy, the government has encouraged the production of rice. A pilot scheme was begun in the mid-1960s to introduce plantation oil palm production, but this has had little impact on the national economy. Stock farming, always a factor in the Fulani culture, has also received government support, but factors such as insufficient animal husbandry techniques and the scarcity of suitable pasture and water have limited the size of herds. The drought years of the 1970s and ’80s seriously damaged agricultural production, particularly upriver. The country was not as hard hit as other countries in the region, however, and recovery has been steady.
Although the country’s small ocean coastline limits marine fishing, there is some potential for commercial fishing offshore and in the river. Most Gambians are not fishermen, but those who are have been handicapped by inadequate equipment. The government has offered small loans for the purchase of motorized fishing boats and the construction of smoke huts for the processing of bonga (shad, or West African herring), which is exported to other western African states.
The Gambia has very few exploited mineral deposits. Some amounts of clay, sand, and gravel are excavated for local use. Foreign investors have been granted licenses to explore offshore blocks for potential petroleum and natural gas reserves, but these actions have not yet yielded any production. The Gambia River holds hydroelectric potential, but there are no dams on the river within the country’s borders. Oil is imported to meet the country’s energy needs. Electricity is limited to parts of Banjul and a few interior towns but is sporadic at best; most Gambians do not have access to modern infrastructure.
The Gambia has long been home to several different ethnic groups who have maintained their individual cultural traditions; as such, the country has a rich heritage. In the past, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, leatherworkers, weavers, textile dyers, and other artisans were found in all of the region’s societies. Weavers and textile dyers still make distinctive cloth throughout the country; The Gambia is noted for its indigo-dyed cloth in particular. Some drum and kora (a complex stringed instrument) makers are still active, and recordings have been made of their traditional music.
Gambian cuisine is nearly identical to Senegalese cooking. Staples include millet, rice, yams, plantains, and cassava (manioc). Fish, both dried and fresh, as well as sauces made from fish and peanuts dominate the diet throughout the country. Millet and rice porridges are often served as breakfast.
Gambians—especially those in Banjul and upcountry towns—wear both traditional West African clothing as well as European-style dress. Gambian women often sport elaborate head wraps and flowing caftans on the streets of the capital and in rural villages. Men typically wear traditional shirts and Western pants, but on Fridays and Muslim holidays they wear traditional Arab dress and skullcaps, especially when going to mosque.
Muslim holidays, including Tobaski (also known as ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā, marking the culmination of the hajj rites near Mecca) and Koriteh (also known as ʿĪd al-Fiṭr, marking the end of Ramadan), and Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter, are observed in The Gambia. In addition, other holidays celebrated in the country include Independence Day, on February 18, and the Anniversary of the Second Republic, on July 22.
Dance and music, traditionally tied to village activities, are still important today. Regular shows are held, especially at harvest time and during the dry season when there is less agricultural work to be done. The musical performances of traditional West African troubadour-historians known as griots (Wolof gewels) not only provide entertainment but also serve to preserve cultural traditions, oral genealogies, and historical narratives. Praise songs are also part of the griot’s repertoire. The griots of The Gambia, many of whom play the kora, were made famous by Alex Haley’s Roots (1976).
The Gambia National Library is located in Banjul. The Gambia National Museum, also in Banjul, houses various ethnographic collections that include artifacts, historical documents, and photographs. Other museums in the country include a natural history and culture museum in Tanji and a small regional slave trade museum at Jufureh, which is part of the James Island and Related Sites UNESCO World Heritage site (designated in 2003). There is a museum in Wassu devoted to the stone circles of Senegambia (collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006). The circles, made of laterite pillars, are positioned near burial mounds. Two of the four stone circle sites are located in the country along the Gambia River near Wassu and Kerabatch and have been dated to the 10th and 11th centuries; the other two sites are in neighbouring Senegal.
Source: Britannica.
