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NAVIGATION
Republic of The Gambia
former: Federation of Senegambia (with Senegal)
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia |
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Government type:
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republic under multiparty democratic rule |
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Capital:
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Banjul |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western |
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Independence:
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18 February 1965 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 18 February (1965) |
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Constitution:
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24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in January 1997 |
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Legal system:
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based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996; note - from 1994 to 1996 was Chairman of the Junta); Vice President Isatou Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996; note - from 1994 to 1996 was Chairman of the Junta); Vice President Isatou Njie SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; the number of terms is not restricted; election last held 18 October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 52.9%, Ousainou DARBOE 32.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote, five appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held NA January 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1, |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]
note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned since 1996 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Essa Bokar SEY
chancery: Suite 1000, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson McDONALD
embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone: [220] 392856, 392858, 391971 FAX: [220] 392475 |
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Flag description:
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three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from Banjul. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts; the following two marketing seasons have seen substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism in 2000 has also held back growth. Unemployment and underemployment rates are extremely high. Shortrun economic progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management as forwarded by IMF technical help and advice, and on expected growth in the construction sector. Record crops undergirded sturdy growth in 2001. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.7% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,770 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 21%
industry: 12% services: 67% (1998 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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400,000 400,000 |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $90.5 million
expenditures: $80.9 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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75 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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69.75 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats; forest and fishery resources not fully exploited |
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Exports:
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$139.2 million f.o.b. (2001) |
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Exports - commodities:
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peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels |
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Exports - partners:
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Benelux 26%, Japan 15%, UK 14%, Brazil 7% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$200.3 million f.o.b. (2001) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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China (including Hong Kong) 18%, UK 10%, Netherlands 8%, France 6%, Brazil 6% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$440 million (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$45.4 million (1995) (1995) |
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Currency:
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dalasi (GMD) |
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Currency code:
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GMD |
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Exchange rates:
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dalasi per US dollar - 15.000 (January 2001), 12.788 (2000), 11.395 (1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |