The Gambia: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026

News •

Germany Unity Day: Envoy hails cooperation with Gambia, calls for peaceful election • Nov. 13, 2026, 2:24 AM ET (The Point)

Japan, UNICEF hand over health supplies to address scabies outbreak in Gambia • Nov. 11, 2026, 6:06 AM ET (The Point)

Gambia unveils bold tourism blueprint to drive growth, jobs, investment • Nov. 10, 2026, 4:29 AM ET (The Point)

Gambia elected to ATAF Council as Africa pushes to finance its own development • Nov. 9, 2026, 5:46 AM ET (The Point)

Honorary Consul of Russia Lamin Manga receives Pushkin Medal from Putin • Nov. 6, 2026, 6:48 AM ET (The Point)

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of the Gambia
Head Of State And Government	President: Adama Barrow
Capital	Banjul
Population	(2026 est.) 2,552,000
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [58¹])
Official Language	English
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Republic of The Gambia
Total Area (Sq Km)	10,689
Total Area (Sq Mi)	4,127
Monetary Unit	dalasi (D)
Population Rank	(2026) 142
Population Projection 2030	3,029,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 618.4
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 238.8
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 65.1% • Rural: (2024) 34.9%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 62.2 years • Female: (2021) 66.3 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 2,430
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 880
¹Includes 5 members nominated by the president.

Photos

Map of The Gambia and surrounding region in West Africa, showing The Gambia's narrow territory along the Gambia River bordered by Senegal on all sides except the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Major cities such as Banjul, Bakau, and Georgetown are marked, and a locator inset highlights The Gambia's position within the continent.

port of Banjul, Gambia

Map of West Africa highlighting The Gambia, a narrow country along the Gambia River, bordered by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean. Neighboring countries such as Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and others are labeled for regional context.

Map showing the narrow country of The Gambia in West Africa, surrounded on three sides by Senegal and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The map highlights major physical features including the Gambia River, several national parks such as River Gambia National Park, Kiang West National Park, Niumi National Park, and Abuko Nature Reserve. An inset locator map shows The Gambia's position within the region of West Africa.

Sandy beach in Gambia with tall palm trees, gentle waves, and people walking along the shoreline under a clear sky.

Two Gambian fishermen stand on the bow of a colorful wooden boat, one waving while the other stands with arms crossed, with dense green trees along the riverbank in the background.

A Mandinka woman seen from behind wears a colorful blue and yellow patterned head wrap and dress, carrying a sleeping child on her back secured with a pink striped cloth.

Vendors in colorful clothing sit behind tables displaying tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables at a busy open-air market in Farafenni, Gambia, with shoppers walking by.

rice harvesting

National anthem of The Gambia

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Topics

Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Africa Western Africa nation-state Commonwealth Banjul Economic Community of West African States Organization of the Islamic Cooperation member states of the Commonwealth Senegambia United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara

president of The Gambia

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Sir Kenneth Blackburne

British colonial administrator

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.

Africa

continent

western Africa

Western Africa

region, Africa

Banjul, Gambia

Banjul

national capital, The Gambia

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Bansang

The Gambia

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Georgetown

The Gambia

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Basse Santa Su

The Gambia

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Kuntaur

The Gambia

Women carrying gourds in Brikama, The Gambia

Brikama

The Gambia

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Yundum

The Gambia

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MacCarthy Island

island, The Gambia

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British Empire

historical state, United Kingdom

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Sudan

region, Africa

Gambia River

Gambia River

river, West Africa

Map of Africa highlighting the countries that made up historical British West Africa-Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria-in orange, with the rest of the continent and surrounding regions shown in gray for context. A small inset map in the lower left shows the location within the African continent.

British West Africa

historical states, Africa

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Barra Kunda Falls

waterfalls, The Gambia-Senegal

Catedral at night on Plaza de Armas (also known as plaza mayor) Lima, Peru.

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Church of Saint George (Bet Giyorgis), Lalibela, Ethiopia. UNESCO World Heritage site.

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You Name It!

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