Gambia

The Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland, a narrow strip along the Gambia River surrounded by Senegal except at its Atlantic coast. Banjul, built on an island, is the capital. English is the official language, while Mandinka, Wolof, Fula and other local languages are widely spoken.

Trans-Saharan trade linked the region to North Africa for centuries, and Arab Muslims brought Sunni Islam in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Portuguese reached the river in 1455, and in 1588 trade rights on it were sold to English merchants. Britain and France competed for the Senegal and Gambia rivers through the 18th century. In 1816 the British founded Bathurst, now Banjul, as a military post. The Gambia became a separate colony in 1888, and an Anglo-French agreement of 1889 fixed its borders along the river.

On 18 February 1965 the country gained independence under Dawda Jawara, and on 24 April 1970 it became a republic with him as president. The Senegambia Confederation with Senegal lasted from 1982 to 1989. Adama Barrow won the presidential election of December 2016. Since 1970 an executive president has led the republic, and the official name keeps the definite article.

With 11,300 km² (4,400 sq mi) of mangroves, wetlands and savanna, the country lives mainly from farming, fishing and tourism. Groundnuts have long been the main export crop, and peanut processing is among its few industries. The national dish, domoda, is a stew of meat and peanut paste, and most Gambians follow the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. Wrestling is the national sport, as in neighboring Senegal, and football and basketball are also widely played.