Elephant Island

island, The Gambia

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June 26, 2026

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Elephant Island is one of several islands created by the braiding of the Gambia River in its middle course. The Gambia itself is a river in western Africa, approximately 700 miles long, originating in the Republic of Guinea and flowing westward through The Gambia into the Atlantic Ocean. The country of The Gambia is a narrow strip of land on either side of this river, almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. The vegetation in The Gambia includes savanna, inland swamps, and mangrove swamps along the river. Wildlife includes warthogs, monkeys, baboons, antelope, pygmy hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and over 500 species of birds.123

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Gambia River
…which the two largest are Elephant Island and MacCarthy Island. The river is joined by numerous creeks called bolons, the largest of these being Bintang Bolon, which flows into it from the south. The width of the river’s valley varies considerably along its course. The river valley is cut into…
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…which the two largest are Elephant Island and MacCarthy Island. The river is joined by numerous creeks called bolons, the largest of these being Bintang Bolon, which flows into it from the south. The width of the river’s valley varies considerably along its course. The river valley is cut into…
Read More