About The Gambia

The Gambia (officially the Republic of The Gambia), commonly known as Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa , bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

Its borders roughly correspond to the path of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the country's center and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its size is almost 10,500 km² with an estimated population of 1,700,000.

On 18 February 1965, Gambia was granted independence from the United Kingdom and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is Gambia's capital, but the largest conurbuation is Serrekunda.

The Gambia shares historical roots with many other west African nations in the slave trade, which was key to the establishment of a colony on the Gambia river, first by the Portuguese and later by the British. Since gaining independence in 1965, The Gambia has enjoyed relative stability, with the exception of a brief period of military rule in 1994.

 

Most tourists travel to The Gambia during the dry and relatively cool months from November to February (daytime maximums around 24°C / 75 F). This is also the best time to watch wildlife and birds.  The wet season starts around late June and lasts until late September, when temperatures rise to around 30°C / 86 F, the rains make some upcountry roads inaccessible, vegetation is lush and the rivers swelling.