The Gambia (officially the
Republic of The Gambia), commonly known as
Gambia, is a country in
Western Africa. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, bordered to the north, east, and south by
Senegal, with a small coast on the
Atlantic Ocean in the west.
Its borders roughly correspond to the path of the
Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the country's center and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its size is almost 10,500 km² with an estimated population of 1,700,000.
On 18 February 1965, Gambia was granted independence from the
United Kingdom and joined
The Commonwealth.
Banjul is Gambia's capital, but the largest
conurbation is
Serrekunda.
The Gambia shares historical roots with many other west
African nations in the
slave trade, which was key to the establishment of a colony on the Gambia river, first by the
Portuguese and later by the
British. Since gaining independence in 1965, The Gambia has enjoyed relative stability, with the exception of a brief period of military rule in 1994.
An agriculturally rich country, its economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and tourism. About a third of the population live below the
international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.
Read more about The Gambia via
Wikipedia »
Our Partners:
Brevard Community Church:Brevard Community Church has partnered with us to establish mission teams in Gambia.
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