| Republic of the Gambia President:
Yahya Jammeh (1994)
Current government officials
Land area: 3,861 sq mi (10,000 sq km);
total area: 4,363 sq mi (11,300 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 1,735,464 (growth
rate: 2.7%); birth rate: 38.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 68.7/1000;
life expectancy: 54.9; density per sq km: 173
Capital (2003 est.):
Banjul, 46,700 Largest city: Serekunda, 344,100 Monetary unit: Dalasi
Languages:
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other
indigenous
Ethnicity/race:
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%,
Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%
Religions:
Islam 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous 1%
National Holiday:
Independence Day, February 18 Literacy rate: 40% (2003 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.):
$2.106 billion; per capita $1,300. Real growth rate: 7%.
Inflation: 5%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land:
28%. Agriculture: rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame,
cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats. Labor force:
400,000 (1996); agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services
19%, government 6%. Industries: processing peanuts, fish, and
hides; tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly,
woodworking, metalworking, clothing. Natural resources: fish,
titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay,
petroleum. Exports: $147.7 million f.o.b. (2007 est.): peanut
products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, reexports. Imports:
$276 million f.o.b. (2007 est.): foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel,
machinery and transport equipment. Major trading partners:
India, UK, France, Italy, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Senegal, Brazil,
Netherlands. (2006).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main
lines in use: 52,900 (2006); mobile cellular: 404,300 (2003). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001). Television
broadcast stations: 1 (government-owned) (1997). Internet
hosts: 6 (2007). Internet users: 58,000 (2005). Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 3,742 km; paved: 723 km; unpaved: 3,019 km
(2004). Waterways: 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going
vessels can reach 190 km) (2004). Ports and harbors: Banjul.
Airports: 1 (2007). International
disputes: 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.
Major sources and definitions
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