The Republic of the Gambia, commonly known as The Gambia, or Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, with 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, the Gambia was granted independence from the United Kingdom and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is the Gambia’s capital, but the largest conurbation is Serekunda.

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 period of military rule in 1994.

An agriculturally rich country, its economy is dominated by internation aid, farming, fishing, and tourism. About a third of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.

(text from wiki. I’ll upload my own description of this country once I have time… I lived in Gambia for 12/14 odd years, so I know the country reasonably well!)