Gambia, The

Overview

Gambia is a very small country in West Africa. On three sides it is surrounded by Senegal - in the west it has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. It is surrounded by a bunch of French speaking countries, but Gambia is very British.

Gambia is pretty popular with package holidays. On the coast there are quite a few holiday villages where white Europeans are flown in by the package every week and red Europeans are flown out one or two weeks later. The Atlantic Coast resorts of Bakau, Fajara, Kotu and Kololi make up the heart of The Gambia's tourist industry. But there is a lot more than just golden beaches...

Banjul is the small capital and a lively city. Good nighlife markets and a very pleasant atmosphere make it a top attraction. Serekunde is the real capital however. It is the primary transport hub and activity centre of the country. It's a crowded place, bustling and 100% African.

Juffure is the main tourist trap of the country. It is a small village on the northern bank of the River Gambia about 25km (15mi) upstream from Banjul . It became world famous in the 1970s following the publication of "Roots", in which African-American author Alex Haley describes how Kunta Kinte, his ancestor, was captured here and taken as a slave to America some 200 years ago.

When Nature touch the Sea is Abuko is a great place to go to see wild life. The park is fenced, well-managed and very easy to reach...more

History

The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned political activity, but a 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early 2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has been elected president in all subsequent elections.