The Gambia is a semi-enclave state in West Africa. It is the
smallest state in continental Africa. In the north, east and south
it borders on Senegal, in the west it has a small coastline of the
Atlantic Ocean. On February 18, 1965, The Gambia gained independence
from the British Empire. She was a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations until October 2, 2013, when she left this organization. In
2018, the Republic of the Gambia returned to the Commonwealth of
Nations. The capital is Banjul, the largest city is Serekunda.
On December 12, 2015, President Yahya Jammeh proclaimed the
Gambia an Islamic Republic. However, on January 29, 2017, his
successor as head of state, Adam Barrow, removed the adjective
"Islamic" from the official name, restoring the former name - the
Republic of the Gambia.
Etymology
The toponym "Gambia"
comes from the Mandinka words Kambra/Kambaa, meaning the river
Gambia. According to E. M. Pospelov, the hydronym Gambia was first
mentioned in European sources in 1455-1456 in the spelling Galbia,
which, apparently, is a European adaptation of the local name. It is
also possible that the toponym originates from the name gamba, a
special type of gourd that has a magical meaning among the Serer
people.
Geography
Geographical position
The state is located between
13° and 14° N. sh. in West Africa, has the form of a strip about 400 km
long, stretching on both sides of the Gambia River, the width of the
strip mainly varies from 24 to 28 km, at the mouth - 45 km. In the east,
north and south it has a border with the Republic of Senegal, the total
length of the border is 740 km. From the west it is washed by the
Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is 80 km. The area of the country is
11,000 km², of which 10,000 km² is on land, 1,000 km² is on the water
surface. The Gambia also owns a continental shelf of 4,000 km² and a
200-mile coastal exclusive economic zone of 10,500 km².
Relief
Most of the country's territory does not exceed 60 m above sea level.
More than 48% of the Gambia does not exceed 20 m, while about 30% is not
higher than 10 m. Only 4% of the country is an area from 50 to 60 m
above sea level.
Depending on the distance from the river, the
country can be divided into three topographic regions:
The lower
valley (4048 km², 39% of the country) is an area located directly on the
Gambia River and its tributaries. It is characterized by alluvial
sedimentary formations, waterlogged soils and strong moisture. The area
of the lower valley is subject to regular seasonal flooding, which
contributes to the formation of seasonal swamps (faro), which are up to
2 km wide, to the west of McCarthy Island.
Crossed sandy plateau (57%
of the country). The territory consists of sandy hills and shallow
valleys.
Sandstone plateau (4% of the country). The eastern part of
the country consists of low, stony sandstone hills that are mostly
uncultivated and unvegetated.
Geology and soils
The geology of
The Gambia belongs to the relatively recent Tertiary and Quaternary
periods. The country is part of the Tertiary continental plateau, which
covers 53% of the country along the river with alluvial deposits from
the Quaternary. The alternation of dry and wet periods contributed to
the formation of Pleistocene iron ore deposits.
Formations of the
Tertiary period include complexes of the Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene
and are part of a stable continental crust. Consist of sand, sandstone,
silt and clay. The age is estimated from 33 Ma (Oligocene) to 2.5 Ma
(Late Pliocene).
Quaternary deposits (not older than 1.6 million
years) consist of 6 formations belonging to the Holocene and
Pleistocene. The geological complexes of the Holocene era are mainly
composed of coarse sand and silt along the river and coastal beach
complexes of undivided sand and silt. In eastern Gambia, the Quaternary
formations consist of iron ores and gravels.
Minerals
In
general, the country is poor in minerals. Large reserves of quartz sand,
sufficient for glass production, are found in Abuko, Brufut, Darsilami
(Western region), Mbankam and Bakendik (North Shore region) and Kaiafe
(Lower River region). The government is looking for investors to develop
these fields. On the coast of the ocean, the so-called "black" sand
contains ilmenite, rutile and zircon. The reserves of these minerals
after removing 1% of the soil layer are estimated at 995,000 tons.
Foreign investors are currently being attracted for further development.
Water resources
The Gambia's renewable water resources are
estimated at 8.0 km³/year, of which 5.0 km³ enters the country via
Senegal and Guinea. Surface waters give an estimated 3.0 km³ per year,
annually renewed groundwater - 0.5 km³.
The annual water
consumption is 30.6 million m³, i.e. 0.38% of the total amount of
renewable water resources. 67% of water is used for agriculture. The
total amount of water consumed increased by 50% from 1982 to 2000, but
the average amount of water consumed per person decreased from 29 to
23.5 m³. The provision of the population with clean drinking water is
62%.
The Gambia River plays an important role for transport,
irrigation and fisheries. The Gambia River and its tributaries occupy
970 km², during high water - 1965 km² (18% of the total territory of the
country). At the mouth, located near Cape St. Mary, the width of the
river is 16 kilometers, the depth is 8.1 m. The smallest width of the
river in the Gambia is about 2000 m. In Banjul, where the ferry operates
to Barra, the river bed narrows to 4.8 km . The river is navigable for
225 km upstream. The first 129 km from Banjul, the river is bordered by
mangrove forests, which give way to steep cliffs covered with
vegetation, then banks covered with tall grass follow. The entire river
and its many tributaries are known for their avifauna, as well as for
the hippos, crocodiles and baboons that live there.
Climate
The climate of The Gambia is one of the most favorable
in West Africa for agriculture. The climate is subequatorial, with
clearly defined dry (November to May) and rainy (June to October)
seasons. The dry wind that blows from the Sahara during the dry
season is called the Harmattan. Thanks to him, the winters in the
Gambia are mild without precipitation, sunny days prevail. From
November to May, the air temperature ranges from +21 to +27 °C,
relative humidity - from 30 to 60%. The average temperature in the
summer months is from +27 to +32 °C with high relative humidity. The
rainy season starts in June and ends in October. In general,
overnight temperatures are observed to be higher onshore than
inland. The amount of precipitation in most of the country does not
exceed 1000 mm, and even during the rainy period, sunny days
prevail.
Flora and fauna
Despite the small territory, the
country is rich in flora and fauna. There are 974 plant species in
the Gambia. Among the 117 species of mammals living in the Gambia,
there are very large animals - giraffes and elephants, which are on
the verge of extinction. The Gambia is also a habitat for hippos,
spotted hyenas, warthogs, baboons and many small mammals - 31
species of bats, 27 species of rodents and others.
Of the 560
bird species found in The Gambia, 220 are known to breed in the
Gambia. The number of species of marine and freshwater fish is 620.
Of the reptiles (72 species), 4 species of sea turtles, 7 species of
freshwater turtles, 2 species of land turtles, 17 species of
lizards, 3 species of crocodiles and 39 species of snakes live in
the country. There are also 33 species of amphibians living in the
Gambia. The insect world of The Gambia is very diverse, with 78
species of dragonflies and 175 species of butterflies living in the
country.
Protected areas
The Gambia has 7 reserves and
national parks, which occupy 3.6% of the country's territory.
The Abuko National Reserve, which has been operating since 1968,
is located near the village of Lamin, 25 km from Banjul. The Abuko
area of 105 hectares is the smallest among African reserves. Despite
its small area, Abuko is famous for its rich flora and fauna.
Bijilo Forest Park is a small (51 ha) reserve on the coast, open to
the public free of charge all year round. There are few animals
living in the park, there are several species of monkeys and many
different types of birds.
Kiang West National Park is a forest
located on the south bank of the Gambia River. Among the animals
living in the park are antelopes, monkeys and an abundance of birds.
The area of the park is 11,000 hectares.
The Baobolong Reserve is
a 22,000 ha wetland on the north bank of the central Gambia River,
opposite Kiang West Park.
Niumi National Park is located in
northwestern Gambia and also includes Ginak Island. The area of the
park is 5000 hectares.
The Tanji River Bird Sanctuary is located
on the coast in western Gambia. 612 hectares of territory include
dunes, lagoons, mangroves and other forests, which are home to many
birds.
The Gambia River National Park (better known as the Baboon
Islands) is located on an area of 580 hectares on river islands near
Yanyanbureh. Established as a chimpanzee sanctuary. Closed to
visitors.
Cities
The largest urban agglomeration of the
Gambia is Greater Banjul, which includes the capital of the country,
Banjul, the country's largest city, Serekunda, Bakau, and a number
of smaller cities. The large city of Brikama is located 20 km south
of the capital. The remaining cities are located along the Gambia
River.