The Gambia is located on the west coast of the African continent and, with 11,295 km², is its smallest territorial state. The border, which is about 740 kilometres long, follows the course of the Gambia River over a length of about 480 kilometres and a width of ten to 50 kilometres. Apart from the coastal section, the Gambia is surrounded by Senegal, which is twenty times larger. The country is often referred to as an enclave, but this does not take into account its access to the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia’s unusual borderline is explained by the widespread story that British ships fired cannons from the navigable part of the river to either side, using the range of these cannons to establish a borderline against the French. The Gambia is a flat country with an elevation above sea level ranging from 0 m to 53 m.
Climate
The climate is tropical with a distinct rainy season and dry season. The dry season lasts from November to May. It is influenced by the dry north-east wind from the Sahara, called Harmattan. Average temperatures rise to between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius, with peaks of over 40 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity remains in the range of 30 to 60 percent. Due to global warming, flooding and storms have increased significantly in The Gambia in recent years.
Waters
The Gambia has a coastline of about 80 kilometres. About 1300 square kilometres, or 11.5 percent of the country’s surface, are water areas. Of this, the Gambia River – one of Africa’s main rivers – and its tributaries account for the majority.
Flora
The country’s geographical position, combined with the extensive wetlands, provides for a large number of diverse plant species. About 530 different plant species are known to occur in The Gambia. The northern part of neighbouring Senegal lies in the Sahel zone, while further south in West Africa the tropical rainforest (Guinea zone) follows. The transition zone, in which The Gambia also lies, is called the Sudan zone. Wet savannah is the predominant vegetation type, with sparser vegetation north of the Gambia.
According to the 1998 Land Use Survey, about 45 per cent of the country’s land area was covered with different types of forest. However, the proportion of closed forest (“dense forest”, with a closed canopy) was only just under 9 percent of the country’s area, while about three-quarters of the forest area was classified as “forest savannah”. Another 32 percent of the country’s area was designated as park-like, open bush savannah, which is mostly tilled seasonally. Typically, when forest is converted to agricultural land, individual trees of certain tree species are left in the fields; namely, mostly those that have a value as a supplier of fruits (e.g. “bush mango” (Cordyla pinnata), baobab), medicinal products (e.g. “West African mahogany”), and other products. e.g. “West African mahogany” Khaya senegalensis), livestock feed (green foliage during the dry season, e.g. ana tree (Faidherbia albida)) or technical fibres (e.g. bark of the baobab for the production of ropes). The forest savanna can be roughly divided into a variant on deeper, better soils with higher rainfall (especially in the West Coast region and the western half of the Lower River region) and a variant that is more likely to be found on the shallower plateaus with lower rainfall in the east of the country. The most common tree species are Khaya senegalensis, Cordyla pinnata, Daniellia oliveri, Pterocarpus erinaceus and Prosopis africana. On the drier plateaus, the red silk-wool tree and Afzelia africana are also present. On the better sites in the west, however, Anogeissus leiocarpa, Néré (Parkia biglobosa) and Sterculia setigera are more common. Over a wide area, the forest savannah has been degraded for decades by forest fires, overgrazing and excessive use, and its species composition has been strongly altered. Instead of the original species diversity, robust pioneer plants such as Terminalia macroptera and various Combretum species have become predominant.
Over a distance of a good 200 kilometres inland from the mouth, densely intertwined mangrove forests can be found along the banks of the Gambia as far as the influence of the saltwater – the so-called brackish water zone – reaches. Further upstream, as well as on some of the mostly short freshwater tributaries, some of which only carry water in the rainy season, remnants of evergreen gallery forest can be found at the edges of the flowing waters. Apart from most of the tree species mentioned for the forest savannah, ebony, Erythrophleum guineense, Milicia regia, as well as the Ethiopian palmyrapalm (Borassus aethiopum) and numerous lianas grow here. Typical examples of gallery forest are preserved in the Abuko Nature Reserve and near the village of Pirang in a small state forest park.
Along the Atlantic Ocean, a strip of coastal forest (Coastal Woodland) extended before the coast was built over mainly by tourist infrastructure, which is particularly characterised by closed stands of the Ethiopian Palmyrapalme. Furthermore, Allophyllus africanus, Malacantha alnifolia with a characteristically non-circular trunk and the thorny bush Fagara zanthoxyloides are often found there. A well-preserved and protected remnant of the typical coastal forest can be found at Bijilo.
Some tree species not native to the Gambia are planted on a larger scale. In particular, plantations of Gmelina arborea, native to Southeast Asia, have been established, for example in the Nymbai Forest Park in the West Coast Region, where a small sawmill industry has developed. This fast-growing tree species has also worked well for planting on firebreaks and for marking different ownerships in the forest savannah, which is why Gmelina planted in rows can be seen quite conspicuously along roads and trails. Other tree species that are not native to West Africa but are regularly planted in The Gambia for forestry or agricultural reasons include teak (Tectona grandis), mango (Mangifera indica), neem (Azadirachta indica) and eucalyptus species.
Fauna
Big game such as elephants, lions and giraffes were wiped out by colonial rulers and poachers in the 19th century and early 20th century. Nevertheless, the Gambia with its extensive savannah and wetlands still provides a habitat for a large number of animal species.
About 108 mammal species, such as the various small antelope species, for example the sitatungas or the bushbuck, are native here. Primates are common, including Guinea baboons and vervet monkeys, but also Temminck’s mute monkeys and hussar monkeys. The country’s last chimpanzees have been successfully relocated to a nature reserve.
The country is known for the great diversity of its colourful bird life. Over 540 bird species are described in the literature – a third of these birds are migratory.
The Gambia was once considered the river with the most crocodiles in Africa; today, crocodiles are rarely seen in the wild, including the Nile crocodile and the stump crocodile. The lizards also include the Nile monitor, which can grow up to two metres. Rare but more dangerous are the hippos, of which about 100 still live above Elephant Island.
The protected coastline is a popular spawning and nursery area for various fish. Dolphins can be seen in the estuary.
Population
Ethnic groups
Percentage of population
39.5 % Mandinka
18.8 % Fulbe
14.6 % Wolof
10.6 % Diola
8.9 % Serahuli
2.8 % Serer
1.8 % Aku
0.8 % Manjago
0.7 % Bambara
1.5 % other ethnic groups
Status: 1993
The largest population group is the Mandinka with a share of almost 40 percent, followed by the Fulbe, the Wolof, the Diola and the Serahuli, who together make up another 53 percent of the population. Less than 8 percent belong to smaller minorities.
Languages
English remained the official language after independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. Most correspondence is conducted in English.
As the Gambia is home to many different ethnic groups, defined mainly by their own language, Gambians are quite polyglot. They often speak several languages fluently or can at least communicate in them. Nine languages are mainly spoken, but over twenty different languages are spoken in the small country. The most widespread, with about 454,000 speakers, is Mandinka from the group of Mande languages. Topographical names are often in Mandinka. Wolof, with about 165,000 speakers, has the largest distribution in Senegal and is spoken mainly in the coastal region around Banjul and in the Kombo-St. Mary Area. Wolof is often used as a language of commerce and business and also served as a parliamentary language during the time of the Confederation of Senegambia. Fulfulde (or Fulani) is spoken by about 263,000 Gambians.
The Arabic language is an ancient written language in the Gambia Valley. In the course of the trans-Saharan trade, North African traders came to the West African ruling houses as early as the 10th century. Through the adoption of Islam, the Arabic language, which today is considered the language of education and religion, was also spread to the region south of the Maghreb. Due to border contacts with Senegal, many Gambians also have a sound knowledge of French. Gambians who have contact with tourism often have additional language skills in German, Dutch, Swedish or Finnish.
Religions
Gambia’s population is 90 per cent Muslim, 9 per cent Christian and about 1 per cent belongs to traditional indigenous African religions.
Until 2015, The Gambia saw itself as a secular state that promoted respect for all cultural and traditional values. It was traditional in The Gambia to open official events with prayers by a Muslim imam and a Christian cleric. However, on 11 December 2015, President Yahya Jammeh declared The Gambia an “Islamic Republic”. His critics pointed out that there was no “constitutional basis” for his decision.
Among the indigenous religions is voodoo. In contrast to the voodoo cult in Haiti, voodoo in West Africa is usually understood as a white, healing and good magic. Nevertheless, stories are occasionally spread in which someone is said to have maliciously wrought something with voodoo. For example, an accused man was lynched because he had allegedly spirited away the genitals of another.
An animal with mythological significance is the crocodile. It is considered a sacred animal and a symbol of fertility. For example, West Africans see a crocodile in the full moon – called Bambo in the Mandinka language. Dalasi banknotes incorporate this animal as a watermark.
There are three well-known sacred crocodile pools, which are operated for tourism and other purposes. The most visited is the sacred crocodile pool at Kachikally near Bakau. There are also facilities at Barra and Allahein. There, in a long family tradition, crocodiles are reared, which visitors – if they are brave – are then allowed to touch. This touching is said to bring luck and fertility. The water from these cult sites is also used for ritual purposes.
The baobab tree is considered a tree with mystical significance.
Education
The adult literacy rate (over 15 years of age) in 2015 is 50.8 percent (compared to 36.8 percent in 2000) or 55.5 percent. Broken down by gender, this is 63.9 percent of males and 47.6 percent of females. Government spending on education was 2.42 per cent of GDP in 2018 (compare 1985: 4.30 per cent; 2004: 0.62 per cent).
The school system is based on the British system, and school attendance is compulsory in the Greater Banjul Area. The school enrolment age is seven years in primary school, which comprises six school years. After a good graduation, the five-year Secondary High School follows. After that, the way is open for the two-year high school in Banjul. This qualification entitles the student to attend university.
In Serekunda there is the University of The Gambia, which was founded in 1998 and started teaching in 1999. Before that, students had to go abroad if they wanted to study medicine or agriculture.
Demography
The Gambia had a population of over 2.23 million in 2020, according to calculations by the National Bureau of Statistics, and is growing at a rate of 2.9 percent per year. This figure has increased over time, peaking at 3.88 per cent in 1993. Since then, the growth rate has been falling again. With an area of 10,689 square kilometres, this makes a population density of 209 inhabitants per square kilometre. The largest conurbation is the Kombo-St. Mary Area.
The population structure shows the typical structure of a developing country, which can be seen in the slight pagoda shape in the age pyramid. For example, the age group of up to 14 years accounts for 44 percent. The group of the elderly only has a share of less than 3 percent. The remaining 53 percent are the inhabitants between 15 and 64 years of age. No rash of social changes, such as wars, catastrophes or a drop in the pill count, can be seen in the age structure.
In The Gambia, the median age is 17.7 years (♂ 17.6 / ♀ 17.8). One can assume a life expectancy of 60.3 years for those born in 2015 (♂ 59.1 / ♀ 61.6). The death rate is 12.3 deaths per year and 1000 inhabitants. The birth rate is 38.1 births per year and 1000 inhabitants. This includes an average of 5.15 births per woman.[18] The infant mortality rate is 71.6 deaths per 1000 births (♂ 78.1/♀ 64.9).
The country recorded a positive immigration rate, which is 1.29 immigrants per 1000 inhabitants. In 2017, 9.8% of the population was foreign-born.[20] The reasons are probably the economic conditions, which are better than in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau; there are also many immigrants from Ghana. However, since 2015, emigration has also accelerated; among the boat people arriving in Italy in 2015 alone were about 8500 Gambians.
Health
Government spending on health, as a share of GDP, was 2.2 per cent in 1990, rose to 6.6 per cent by 2000, and then fell back to 3.2 per cent in 2018.
Successful AIDS control programmes ensured that the AIDS rate in The Gambia declined. It was around 2 per cent in 2020, which is particularly low compared to the sub-Saharan African average of 9 per cent. The Gambia’s malaria control programme is also considered exemplary for the whole of West Africa.
Thanks to the new university, it is now also possible to train doctors in their own country.
Text und Abbildungen: Wikipedia and Detlef Steinweg