The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the tiniest country within mainland Africa and is surrounded by Senegal, besides its western coastline on the Atlantic Sea. The Gambia is situated on both sides of the reduced reaches of the Gambia River, the country’s namesake, which streams via the centre of the Gambia and clears into the Atlantic Sea. It has a location of 10,689 square kilometres (4,127 sq mi) with a population of 1,857,181 as of the April 2013 demographics. Banjul is the Gambian capital and also the country’s biggest metropolitan area. The biggest cities are Serekunda and also Brikama.

The Portuguese in 1455 got in the Gambian area, the very first Europeans to do so, however never ever established crucial profession there. In 1765, The Gambia was made a part of the British Realm by facility of the Gambia Colony as well as Protectorate. In 1965, the Gambia got independence under the leadership of Dawda Jawara, who ruled up until Yahya Jammeh confiscated power in a bloodless 1994 stroke of genius.

Adama Barrow ended up being the Gambia’s 3rd president in January 2017, after defeating Jammeh in the December 2016 elections. Jammeh originally approved the results, then contradicted them, which set off a constitutional situation and army treatment by the Economic Community of West African States, causing his exile.

The Gambia’s economic situation is dominated by farming, fishing, and also particularly, tourism. In 2015, 48.6% of the population lived in destitution. In backwoods, hardship was even more widespread, at nearly 70%.