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.
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.
The country is made up of five divisions and one city*: Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western.
1 Banjul – the capital of Gambia can actually be called quite cozy
and is located on a peninsula. Banjul is more of the political capital
and
2 Serrekunda – is the economic capital. You can also find western
products and large markets here. However, the confusion is quite big in
Serrekunda.
3 Brikama – The last inland town that can still be
reached on “decent” roads.
4 Gunjur – Here you can find wonderful
beaches without tourists.
5 Soma – this is where you usually change
modes of transport or spend the night if you are too tired after the
long journey on terrible roads.
6 Farafenni – Town on the northern
side of the Gambia River. From here you can easily get to Senegal.
7
Janjanbureh – (formerly: Georgetown) beautiful place on an island with
beautiful birds and a slave house.
8 Bansang – market town in Eastern
Gambia. There are hills in the region.
9 Basse Santa Su - Gambia's
easternmost town with a border crossing to southern Senegal and
transport options to Guinea.
1 Stone circles of Wassu - there are interesting stone circles here,
which have been a World Heritage Site since 2006, along with those in
Senegal.
2 Baboon Island National Park – nice tour options by boat
near Kuntaur. You can see chimpanzees and baboons.
3 Batokunku - here
in the next town after the fishing village of Tanji there is the first
wind turbine on the west coast of Africa - a German project.
Entry requirements
All EU citizens can enter the country without a
visa, only with a passport. Swiss, Liechtensteiners and Turks need a
visa.
Embassy of The Republic of Gambia, Rue de la Loi 26, 1000
Brussels. Email: info@gambiaembassybrussels.be. Reprocessing takes at
least 2 working days. Responsible for BeNeLux, Germany, Poland, Czech
Republic, Slovakia. Open: Application submission: Tuesday, Thursday 10
a.m. - 1 p.m., collection: 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Honorary Consulate
General of Gambia, Rotenturmstrasse 11/14, 1010 Vienna. Tel.: +43 1 512
33 06 10, email: office@konsulat-gambia.at. Responsible for Vienna,
Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria. Open: by
appointment only.
Airplane
Entering the country by plane is
problem-free. But only a few airlines fly to Banjul International
Airport (BJL). Upon arrival and departure it is necessary to provide
personal information in written form. Appropriate pieces of paper are
distributed for this purpose. A security fee of 1000 Dalasi (GMD), USD
20 or EUR 20, is charged upon arrival and departure from Banjul
International Airport, payable in cash.
Train
A railway does
not exist.
bus
Gambian GTSC buses daily from
Serrekunda-Kanifing to/from Dakar. There are also shared taxis for
around 10€ (6000 CFA) to the border for the same route. You can get the
passenger seat for an extra 1000 CFA (2019).
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
Border crossing from Senegal at
Amdallai/Karang.
If you buy or rent a small, used car cobbled together from other
parts, you are guaranteed to embark on an adventure. With a
well-maintained Jeep, extensive exploration tours shouldn't be a
problem.
For short distances it is better to use a green tourist
taxi, a yellow local taxi or a bush taxi. Bush taxis (Jelejele) are
minibuses that carry up to twelve people. They drive fixed routes. There
are options to get in and out at any time along the route. A trip costs
between 7GMD and 15GMD per person depending on the length of the total
route. Small children ride on your lap free of charge.
After
independence from Great Britain, right-hand traffic was introduced.
The ferry from Banjul to Barra will be used to get into the interior
(northern bank of the Gambia). In the middle of the country there is a
toll bridge between the towns of Farafenni and Mansa Konko/Soma.
Most people understand English. Since there are many Senegalese people living in Gambia, French is also spoken.
Banks open Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Friday to 11:00 a.m. or Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., sometimes also on Saturday mornings. At ATMs there is the problem of low upper limits per withdrawal; 3000 Dalasi (2018: € 55) are common, with a fee of usually 200GMD being charged each time. The prices are very cheap if you can bargain well. There is no trade for transport, restaurant meals or accommodation.
Vegetarians will have difficulty getting adequate hot meals.
Yassa - Gambian dish: onion sauce, spicy with black pepper, with fish or
meat and rice or potatoes.
Julbrew – in several varieties is the beer
brand of the local German-owned Banjul Breweries. Guinness and the Vimto
lemonade are also bottled under license. Local soft drinks and mineral
water are also sold.
Palm wine is often made at home.
Wonjo is a
syrup made from hibiscus flowers that is infused cold.
Similar to
Café Touba in Senegal, instant coffee is offered everywhere in small
shops and by hawkers for very little money.
Filled baguettes, like
instant coffee, can be found practically everywhere. The sliced
baguettes are filled with mayonnaise, onions and various cooked dishes.
Often chicken, potatoes, beans or liver.
This mainly takes place along the Senegambia Highway near the beaches in Serrekunda.
There are very good hotels on the coast, aimed primarily at Dutch and British package tourists, and inland there are cheap accommodations that are usually clean. A few hostels have now opened in Banjul for around €10 in dorms.
The children like to go to the fee-paying school.
Every child
is happy to receive old, discarded school supplies such as pencils,
pens, notebooks, pads, etc. In tourist-developed areas you are often
begged for, although it is not clear how many of these donations in kind
end up back at the seller's table. Maybe it's still better than money
(you don't know if it will be used for school supplies) or candy (a
dental problem).
Gambia is a safe country. Violent crime is rare, but theft and fraud
are more common, as are pushy sales methods that often begin with
endless ramblings about equality between blacks and whites or “it's for
charity.”
Possession and use of plastic bags is punishable by
fines. Drug abuse (even small amounts) and child abuse are subject to
severe penalties. Same-sex acts are punishable.
As a preventive measure, you should follow the information from the health department, get vaccinated and take malaria prophylaxis! In Gambia, as in most African countries, there is a shortage of medicines. For this reason, medicines are mainly intended for locals. It is therefore recommended to take a first aid kit with the most important medications with you. A pharmacist will be happy to provide information about what makes sense for a trip through West Africa.
Walk around neatly, if possible in a shirt and you will be very respected. Decent appearance is important. Older people are particularly respected. In contrast to younger people who should show more respect. As a tourist in beach regions you are a rich foreigner anyway and therefore fair game for bumpsters! Bumsters are young locals, usually well educated but not wealthy. If you want to get to know the country and its people, you should get in touch with these people on the beach of Serrekunda (that's where most of the hotels are, and therefore most of the bumsters). You will definitely find someone who will not just beg you or offer their sexual services. So for little money (in our opinion) you have someone who will proudly show you his homeland, guide you safely through the market in Banjul and also show you other places that you would hardly find yourself (holy crocodiles, cattle market, etc.), A visit to his family may also be possible. And as a side effect, you have peace and quiet on the beach because you are then taboo for the other bumsters.
There are internet cafes on the coast.
There are telephone
booths in larger towns.
Prepaid cards for mobile phone calls
(national, international) can be bought anywhere.
The fertile banks of the Gambia River have been inhabited for
thousands of years. The Carthaginian Hanno the Sailor gave written
evidence around 470 BC in the report of his trip to West Africa. The
connection to the Mediterranean region only broke with the fall of the
Roman Empire and the spread of Islam.
In the middle of the 15th
century, numerous voyages of discovery initiated by Henry the Navigator
led to the western tip of Africa. Among them were the sailors Dinis
Dias, Alvise Cadamosto and Nuno Tristão. In the following years,
Portuguese traders took over the sea route. At this point, Gambia was
part of the Empire of Mali.
In 1618, King James I granted a
British company the privilege of trading with Gambia and the Gold Coast,
now Ghana. The Netherlands and the Duchy of Courland also briefly had
colonies in what is now Gambia. From the late 17th to the end of the
18th century, England and France fought over political and economic
control of the rivers in Senegal and Gambia. The Peace of Paris of 1763
gave Great Britain control of Gambia; the French only received a small
enclave around Albreda north of the river. This was ceded to Great
Britain in 1857.
During the transatlantic slave trade, more than
three million slaves were taken to America. It was not until 1807 that
Great Britain officially ended the slave trade, which initially did not
affect trade in Gambia. In 1816, the English built a military base in
Bathurst (now Banjul). In the following years, Banjul was temporarily
subordinate to the British Governor General in Sierra Leone. It was not
until 1888 that Gambia became an independent colony. The border between
the French colony of Senegal and Gambia was finally determined.
Universal suffrage was guaranteed in 1960, which introduced active and
passive women's suffrage. Women's suffrage was confirmed at independence
in 1965.
On February 18, 1965, Gambia was admitted to the
Commonwealth as a constitutional monarchy. During a visit by Senegal's
President Léopold Sédar Senghor to Gambia in 1967, an agreement on
intensive cooperation was concluded between Banjul and Dakar, which was
not yet so called at the time. On April 24, 1970, Gambia became a
republic within the Commonwealth. The first President of the Republic
was the previous Prime Minister David Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who was
re-elected five times until 1994. During his term in office, a violent
coup shook the country in 1981. In the aftermath of the coup, Gambia and
Senegal signed a treaty on December 12, 1981, which provided for the
unification of the armed forces, the currency and the economic area in
the Senegambia Confederation. This confederation existed from February
1, 1982 to September 30, 1989, when Gambia withdrew from the
confederation.
The young lieutenant Jammeh came to power in 1994
in a military but largely bloodless coup that arose from soldiers'
protests over late payouts. At that time he announced that he wanted to
rule alone until at least 1998. Nevertheless, elections were held again
in 1996, from which Jammeh emerged as the clear winner. In fact, the
years from 1996 to 2000 were characterized by a certain stability and
economic boom: the international airport in Banjul and numerous roads
were modernized, a new hospital, new schools, a television station and a
huge revolutionary monument were built, and tourism was once again a
good source of income .
In 2001, Jammeh was re-elected again. In
2002, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)
won the election to the National Assembly, but the opposition UDP
boycotted the election. She criticized the election, which was organized
by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), because, in her opinion,
the electoral system was flawed.
One of the largest maritime
disasters of the post-war period occurred off the Gambian coast in 2002.
The Senegalese ferry Le Joola, then the only ferry between Ziguinchor in
the Casamance region and Dakar, sank in a storm. Over 1,800 people died.
In the 2006 presidential election, Yahya Jammeh was re-elected with
67.3 percent of the vote and was confirmed for a fourth term in November
2011. According to the electoral commission, he received 72 percent of
the vote, but the Economic Community of West African States had
previously criticized the presidential elections as “not free, fair and
transparent” and rejected the deployment of election observers.
In 2011, opponents of the regime in the diaspora, especially in the USA
and Great Britain, founded the Coalition for Change, which sees itself
as an oppositional political and civil rights movement. One of the
founders was the country's former information minister, Amadou Scattred
Janneh, who also has US citizenship and worked at the US embassy in
Gambia until his appointment as minister in 2003. He was imprisoned in
2011 and released in 2012 under pressure from American civil rights
activists. President Jammeh then sought new allies in the Middle East,
visiting Qatar in 2014 and increasing Islamic and anti-imperialist
propaganda. After a failed coup attempt on December 30, 2014, repression
intensified. Jammeh accused foreign governments of supporting the
conspirators. In June 2015, the permanent EU representative was expelled
from the country without giving any reasons. Two years earlier, on
October 2, 2013, Jammeh declared his membership in the Commonwealth
ended with immediate effect. Great Britain, like the human rights
organization Amnesty International, recently criticized the human rights
situation in Gambia. The government in the capital Banjul said the West
African country “never wanted to be a member of a neo-colonial
institution” or an institution “that represents a continuation of
colonialism”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The largest population group is the Mandinka with a share of almost 40 percent, followed by the Fulbe, the Wolof, the Diola and the Serahuli, who together make up another 53 percent of the population. Less than 8 percent belong to smaller minorities.
English remained the official language after independence from the
United Kingdom in 1965. Most correspondence is conducted in English.
Since many different ethnic groups live in Gambia, which are mainly
defined by their own language, Gambians are quite polyglot. They often
speak several languages fluently or can at least communicate in them.
Nine languages are mainly spoken, but over twenty different languages
are spoken in the small country. The most widespread is Mandinka from
the Mande language group, with around 454,000 speakers. Topographical
designations are common in Mandinka. Wolof, with around 165,000
speakers, is most widespread in Senegal and is mainly spoken in the
coastal region around Banjul and in Kombo-St. Mary Area spoken. Wolof is
often used as a trade and business language and also served as a
parliamentary language during the Senegambia Confederation period.
Fulfulde (or Fulani) is spoken by around 263,000 Gambians.
The
Arabic language is an ancient written language in the Gambia Valley. As
part of the trans-Saharan trade, North African traders came to the West
African ruling families as early as the 10th century. With the adoption
of Islam, the Arabic language, which is now considered the language of
education and religion, was also spread to the region south of the
Maghreb. Thanks to contacts with Senegal near the border, many Gambians
also have a sound knowledge of French. Gambians who have contact with
tourism often also have language skills in German, Dutch, Swedish or
Finnish.
Gambia's population is 90 percent Muslim, 9 percent Christian and
about 1 percent belong to traditional indigenous African religions.
Until 2015, Gambia saw itself as a secular state that promoted
respect for all cultural and traditional values. It was traditional in
The Gambia to open official events with prayers from a Muslim imam and a
Christian cleric. However, on December 11, 2015, President Yahya Jammeh
declared The Gambia an “Islamic Republic”. His critics pointed out that
there was no “constitutional basis” for his decision.
Voodoo is
one of the indigenous religions. In contrast to the Voodoo cult in
Haiti, Voodoo in West Africa is generally seen as white, healing and
good magic. Nevertheless, stories are occasionally spread in which
someone is said to have done something malicious with voodoo. For
example, a defendant was lynched because he had allegedly spirited away
another person's genitals.
An animal with mythological
significance is the crocodile. It is considered a sacred animal and
symbol of fertility. For example, West Africans see a crocodile in the
full moon - called Bambo in the Mandinka language. This animal is
incorporated as a watermark in the Dalasi banknotes.
There are
three known sacred crocodile pools, which are operated for tourism,
among other things. The most visited is the Sacred Crocodile Pool of
Kachikally near Bakau. There are also facilities at Barra and Allahein.
In a long family tradition, crocodiles are raised there, which visitors
- if they are brave - are allowed to touch. This touching is said to
bring luck and fertility. The water from these places of worship is also
used for ritual purposes.
The baobab tree is considered a tree
with mystical meaning.
The literacy level of adults (over 15 years of age) was 50.8 percent
in 2015 (compared to 2000: 36.8 percent) or 55.5 percent. Broken down by
gender, this is 63.9 percent of men and 47.6 percent of women.
Government spending on education was 2.42 percent of gross domestic
product in 2018 (for comparison, 1985: 4.30 percent; 2004: 0.62
percent).
The school system is based on the British system;
schooling is compulsory in the Greater Banjul Area. The school entry age
is seven years in the primary school, which covers six school years.
After a good degree, the five-year secondary high school follows. After
that, the path is open to the two-year high school in Banjul. This
degree entitles you to attend a university.
In Serrekunda there
is the University of Gambia, which was founded in 1998 and began
teaching in 1999. Previously, students had to go abroad if they wanted
to study medicine or agriculture.
According to calculations by the national statistics office, Gambia
had a population of over 2.23 million in 2020 and is growing at a rate
of 2.9 percent per year. This value has increased over time and reached
its peak in 1993 at 3.88 percent. Since then the growth rate has fallen
again. With an area of 10,689 square kilometers, this gives a population
density of 209 inhabitants per square kilometer. The largest
metropolitan area is Kombo-St. Mary Area.
The population
structure shows the structure typical of a developing country, which can
be seen in the slight pagoda shape in the age pyramid. For example, the
age group of 14 and under makes up 44 percent. The elderly group only
accounts for less than 3 percent. The remaining 53 percent are residents
between 15 and 64 years old. There is no noticeable difference in the
age structure that indicates social changes such as wars, catastrophes
or a break in the pill.
In The Gambia, the mean age (median) is
17.7 years (♂ 17.6 / ♀ 17.8). One can assume a life expectancy of 60.3
years for those born in 2015 (♂ 59.1 / ♀ 61.6). The death rate is 12.3
deaths per year per 1000 inhabitants. The birth rate is 38.1 births per
year per 1000 inhabitants. The average number of children is 5.15 births
per woman. The infant mortality rate is 71.6 deaths per 1000 births (♂
78.1/♀ 64.9).
The country recorded a positive immigration rate,
which is 1.29 immigrants per 1000 inhabitants. In 2017, 9.8% of the
population was born abroad. The reasons probably lie in the economic
conditions, which are better than in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau; There are
also many immigrants from Ghana. However, emigration has also
accelerated since 2015; There were around 8,500 Gambians among the boat
refugees who arrived in Italy in 2015 alone.
Government spending on healthcare, measured as a share of gross
domestic product, was 2.2 percent in 1990, rose to 6.6 percent in 2000
and then fell again to 3.2 percent in 2018.
Successful AIDS
control programs have ensured that the AIDS rate in The Gambia is
declining. In 2020 it was around 2 percent, which is particularly low
compared to the sub-Saharan African average of 9 percent. The Gambia's
malaria control program is also considered exemplary for all of West
Africa.
The new university now makes it possible to train doctors
in your own country.
Female genital mutilation
As in
neighboring countries, the tradition of female genital mutilation in The
Gambia poses a great danger to the physical and mental health of girls
and women and their children. In connection with the low literacy rate
among women, the lack of education, especially in rural areas, and the
cemented, superstition-influenced ideas about female sexuality, the
practice has continued into the 21st century. Depending on the
affiliation to the different ethnic groups, the percentage of female
genital mutilation ranges from 12.5 percent among the Wolof to 98
percent among the Sarahule. Terre des Femmes speaks of 76 percent of
women being genitally mutilated in Gambia. However, partly as a result
of awareness campaigns, the number of supporters is gradually falling
from 71 percent in 2005 to 64 percent a few years later. Circumcisions
are only performed by women, and women are also the ones who adhere most
strongly to the practice. In 2015, female genital mutilation was banned
because it is “un-Islamic.”