The Gambia is a narrow West African nation almost entirely surrounded by Senegal, defined by the meandering Gambia River as its central artery and covering just over 11,000 km². Established as a presidential republic under a 1996 constitution, it features a head of state who serves five-year terms, a unicameral National Assembly, and an independent judiciary Culturally, the country boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites Kunta Kinteh Island and the Stone Circles of Senegambia which testify to its deep historical roots from pre-colonial eras through the transatlantic slave trade. Climatically, The Gambia experiences a tropical wet-and-dry regime, with a pronounced rainy season from June to October and a longer dry season extending from November to May.
Political Overview
The Gambia operates as a presidential republic, with executive authority vested in a president elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term; the president appoints a vice-president and cabinet members and is both head of state and government. Legislative power resides in the National Assembly, a unicameral body of 53 members 48 elected and up to five presidential appointees serving concurrent five-year terms After over two decades of semi-authoritarian rule under Yahya Jammeh (1994–2016), the surprise election of Adama Barrow in December 2016 marked a return to more open politics, though challenges remain in strengthening democratic institutions and combating corruption.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
Gambian identity is richly textured, blending Mandinka, Fula, Wolof, and other ethnic traditions through language, music, and festivals that reinforce social cohesion. The Stone Circles of Senegambia, shared with Senegal, represent over 1,500 years of sophisticated megalithic culture, while Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly James Island) chronicles European contact and the horrors of the slave trade. Beyond monumental sites, the Kankurang mask initiation ritual is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, celebrated through community-based performances and housed in the Kankurang Centre and Museum in Janjanbureh. National and UNESCO-supported efforts since 2011 have focused on safeguarding living heritage, integrating traditional practices into education and disaster-risk planning to ensure their transmission to younger generations.
Geographical Landscape and Climate
Geographically, The Gambia is a slender corridor following the Gambia River for about 450 km inland from the Atlantic, averaging only 48 km in width at its widest point. The terrain consists primarily of riverine floodplains with Guinean mangroves near the coast transitioning into West Sudanian savanna upriver; soils tend to be sandy and nutrient-poor, supporting baobab, mahogany, and acacia trees alongside scattered agricultural plots. Climatically, the country sits on the southern edge of the Sahel, with annual rainfall ranging from roughly 700 mm in the north to 1,000 mm in the south; average temperatures vary between 18 °C and 33 °C across seasons, with La Niña years bringing cooler conditions Environmental concerns include deforestation, desertification, and water-borne diseases, exacerbated by a 30 % decline in rainfall over the past three decades.
