The Gambia, officially known as the Republic of The Gambia, is a country located in West Africa. The country is located on both sides of the lower reaches of the Gambia River, which runs through the center of the country and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is a strip of land 25-50 kilometers (15-30 miles) wide on either side of the Gambia River and stretches almost 480 kilometers (300 miles) inland. It is completely surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is incredibly narrow and less than 30 miles at most. Although small, the country is densely populated with around 2.3 million people.
About 1300 square kilometers of the land area of The Gambia is covered by water. It is the smallest country on the African continent. The country's peculiar shape and size are the result of territorial compromises made in the 19th century by Britain, which controlled the lower reaches of the Gambia River, and France, which ruled the neighboring colony of Senegal. The capital of The Gambia is Banjul. The Gambian economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and tourism.
One belief is that the name is based on the translation of the Portuguese word 'Cambio' meaning trade or exchange which is a common activity along the river. The Gambia is also derived from the Mandinka term 'Kambra or Kambaa' which means River Gambia or from the sacred Serer Gamba - a special type of calabash beaten when a Serer elder dies. What is certain, however, is that the country was named after the Gambia River. It is the main geographical feature of a country where there are no significant mountains or lakes.
For a long time, the official name of the country was "Gambia". A letter found in the country's main archives, written by Prime Minister Sir Dawda K Jawara in March 1963 and addressed to the Special Committee reveals a directive on the country's name to the United Nations. He said that to distinguish The Gambia from a newly independent country called Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), the definite article "the" should be added to its name. This development was also expected to be helpful as for many years mail destined for The Gambia was mistakenly sent to Zambia. Since then, “The Gambia” has been officially adopted.
The Gambia is one of the safest and friendliest places to visit and explore. The tourism sector is an important aspect of the Gambian economy and it creates the greatest number of employment opportunities for the country's youth. The Gambia prides itself on its natural landscape, ethnic diversity, amazing local cuisine and religious tolerance. Its riverside villages, hotels, spas and amazing wonders attract all visitors. The Gambia also has historic buildings, archaeological sites and monuments, some of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Apart from its friendly people, the nickname of the Smiling Coast was also inspired by the location of the country on the map of Africa. The Gambia runs through the middle of Senegal and its position appears as that of a smile on the map, greeting those traveling up the Gambia River.
English is the official language in The Gambia. English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, originally spoken by people in early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples who migrated from Anglia, a peninsula on the Baltic Sea, to the region of Britain that would later bear their name, England. English has developed over more than 1400 years. It is the third most spoken native language in the world after Standard Chinese and Spanish.
The Gambia is a Muslim majority country. Muslims make up 96% of the population, 3% are Christians and a mere 1% practice traditional African religions.
Government meetings usually begin with two prayers; a Christian and a Muslim. The government often invites senior officials from both religious groups to open major government events with prayers. The president, a Muslim, delivers a Christmas message to the nation every year and delivers messages for major Muslim holidays.
The Supreme Islamic Council is an independent body that advises the Gambian government on various issues. The government provides the board with substantial funding.
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8 дек 2022
