Simple directory > Regional > Gambia

Country : Gambia Official name: Republic of The Gambia Head of State: President Yahya Alphonse Jamus Jebulai Jammeh (Chairman of APRC) (re-elected 18 Oct 2001) Head of government: President Yahya Alphonse Jamus Jebulai Jammeh Ruling party: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) (re-elected Jan 2002) Area: 11,295 square km Population: 1.42 million (2004) Capital: Banjul Official language: English Currency: Dalasi (D) = 100 butut Exchange rate: D29.88 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$269 (2003) GDP real growth: 7.40% (2003) Labour force: 400,000 (2003) Inflation: 13.00% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$87.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$476.00 million (2003) Visitor numbers: 80,000 (annually)* * estimated figure

Historical profile

1455 The Portuguese established trading stations along the River Gambia.

1889 The boundaries of The Gambia were agreed by the British and French.

1894 The Gambia became a British protectorate.

1965 Following independence, Dawda Jawara, at the head of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), became prime minister, with the British monarch as head of state.

1970 The Gambia became a republic, following a referendum. Dawda Jawara was elected president.

1981 Around 500 people were killed after Senegalese troops intervened to suppress a coup.

1982 Senegal and The Gambia formed a confederation called Senegambia.

1989 Senegambia collapsed as a confederation.

1991 The Gambia and Senegal signed a friendship treaty.

1994 President Jawara was deposed by a military coup and was replaced by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC). The 1970 constitution was suspended and all political parties were banned.

1996 The party ban was lifted in August, following the promulgation of a new constitution. Jammeh was elected president by the APRC and the majority of the popular vote -- the three main opposition parties abstained from participating in the elections.

1997 There was a return to civilian rule. In the National Assembly elections, the ruling APRC won an absolute majority.

2000 Political tensions were high throughout the year with clashes between members of the APRC and the United Democratic Party (UDP).

2001 President Jammeh lifted the ban on the political parties he overthrew in 1994. He was re-elected. The British Deputy High Commissioner was expelled for meeting opposition leaders.

2002 President Jammeh's ruling APRC won the parliamentary elections, in which most APRC candidates were unopposed and the main opposition party, the centrist UDP, boycotted the elections.

2003 The government said 2002/03 was a year of crop failure and food shortage.

2004 In February, President Jammeh announced the discovery of large reserves of oil.

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