Info Gambia English

Arab traders provided Gambia's first written accounts in the ninth and tenth centuries. During the 10th century, Muslim merchants and scholars created communities in several of West Africa’s commercial centers. Both groups established trans-Saharan trade routes, leading to an exchange for gold, and ivory.

By the 11th or 12th century, the rulers of kingdoms such as Takrur (a kingdom centered on the Sénégal River just to the north), Ancient Ghana and Gao, had converted to Islam and had appointed Muslims who were literate in Arabic as advisers. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, most of what is today called The Gambia was a tributary to the Mali Empire. The Portuguese reached the area by sea in the mid-fifteenth century and began to dominate trade.

In 1588, the claimant to the Portuguese throne, António, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on the Gambia River to English merchants; letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I confirmed the grant. In 1618, James I granted a charter to a British company for trade with Gambia and the Gold Coast (now Ghana). Between 1651-1661 some parts of Gambia were under Courland's rule, bought by prince Jacob Kettler, who was a Polish vassal.
During the late seventeenth century and throughout the eighteenth, Britain and France struggled continually for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal and Gambia rivers. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles gave Great Britain possession of the Gambia River, but the French retained a tiny enclave at Albreda on its north bank. This was finally ceded to the United Kingdom in 1857.

As many as 3 million slaves may have been taken from the region during the three centuries that the transatlantic slave trade operated. It is not known how many slaves were taken by inter-tribal wars or Arab traders prior to the transatlantic slave trade. Most of those taken were sold by other Africans to Europeans; some were prisoners of intertribal wars; some were sold because of unpaid debts; while others were kidnapped.

Traders initially sent slaves to Europe to work as servants until the market for labor expanded in the West Indies and North America in the 18th century. In 1807, the British abolished slave trading throughout their Empire. They also tried, unsuccessfully, to end the slave trade in The Gambia. The British established the military post of Bathurst (now Banjul) in 1816. In the ensuing years, Banjul was at times under the jurisdiction of the British Governor General in Sierra Leone. In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colonial entity.

An 1889 agreement with France established the present boundaries. The Gambia became a British Crown Colony, British Gambia, divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901 and gradually progressed toward self-government. It passed a 1906 ordinance abolishing slavery.

During World War II, Gambian troops fought with the Allies in Burma. Banjul served as an air stop for the U.S. Army Air Corps and a port of call for Allied naval convoys. U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped overnight in Banjul en route to and from the Casablanca Conference in 1943, marking the first visit to the African continent by a sitting American president.

After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance in the following year. The Gambia achieved independence on February 18, 1965 as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Shortly thereafter, the government held a referendum proposing that an elected president replace the Gambian Monarch (Queen Elizabeth II) as head of state. The referendum failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, civil rights and liberties. On April 24, 1970, The Gambia became a republic within the Commonwealth, following a second referendum, with Prime Minister Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, as head of state. This made The Gambia the first and last British colony in West Africa.

The Gambia was led by President Jawara, who was re-elected five times. The relative stability of the Jawara era was shattered first by a coup attempt in 1981. The coup was led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang, who, on two occasions, had unsuccessfully sought election to Parliament. After a week of violence which left several hundred people dead, Jawara, in London when the attack began, appealed to Senegal for help. Senegalese troops defeated the rebel force.

In the aftermath of the attempted coup, Senegal and The Gambia signed the 1982 Treaty of Confederation. The goal of the Senegambia Confederation was to combine the armed forces of the two states and to unify their economies and currencies. In 1989 The Gambia withdrew from the confederation.

In 1994, the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) deposed the Jawara government and banned opposition political activity. Lieutenant Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. The AFPRC announced a transition plan for return to democratic civilian government. The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in 1996 to conduct national elections. The PIEC was transformed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1997 and became responsible for registration of voters and conduct of elections and referendums. In late 2001 and early 2002, The Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential, legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent, albeit with some shortcomings. President Yahya Jammeh, who was elected to continue in the position he had assumed during the coup, took the oath of office again on December 21, 2001. Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections.

• Socio-economic context: The economy, rather poor, is based on Agriculture. The pasture are the major groundnut, millet and the rice fields; pasture others are those of the palm and cotton Olier. The livestock of some importance is livestock bovine, ovine and cabrini. Logging is scarce, despite the extraction of mahogany, bamboo and some palm trees. River fishing leads to a small export Ghana, but fishing the Atlantic that has a good future. Most mining is, there are heavy deposits of metallic minerals (ilmenite, rutile and zircon). Industry, developed slightly, in some processing industries: exclofoliada and olive products from peanuts and rice to Banjul. Transport takes place mainly by the River Gambia, one of Africa's best navigable Occidental. The other communities are very poor: lack of rail and road network is 2388 km passable throughout the year. Foreign trade is very poor: in 1990 exports accounted for only 20.4% of imports, which consist principalemtente food (33%), followed by basic manufactures (20%) and fuels and lubricants (9% ). Imports out of the fish (13%), peanut meal (2.5%) and exports (41%). Over 50% of trade in The Gambia is the echo of the countries of the EEC (European Economic Community). The economy is very fragile because it depends on the extracted minerals and monoculture peanuts, affected by low international prices and erratic rainfall.

• Socio-cultural Context: Gambia's population is made up of groups of blacks Sudani Mandinga (42% total), Fulani (18%), Wolof (10%), Diola (9%) and other minorities such as native and sere aku. The annual growth rate is 25.8 per thousand births (47.5 per thousand), The unemployment rate is 50%, the infant death rate to 122 per thousand, the literacy is 28% of the Hope life is half of 48 years. The population is essentially rural (78 per thousand), less the capital, Banjul, no other urban center is less than 25,000 inhabitants. The official language is English, but there are very social dialects estendidosm especially the Mandingo and Wolof. 80% are Muslim, the rest are animists i, i Protestant Catholics. Primary education begins at 8 years old, is free but not compulsory and lasts for 6 years. There isn't university. 1997 which introduced the study of Alcora at all levels of learning. The president, elected by universal suffrage every 5 years, is commander of the armed forces and has the executive power. The legislature is the House of Representatives, composed of 49 members, of whom 35 are elected by universal suffrage, 5 appointed by the assembly of tribal chiefs, 8 nominated members without voting rights and the prosecutor general. The largest political party People's Progressive Party, founded in 1959. Gambia is a member of the UN, the OAU, the Commonwealth and the Organization for Desenvolupamiento River Gambia.

A wide variety of ethnic groups live in The Gambia with a minimum of intertribal friction, each preserving its own language and traditions. The Mandinka tribe is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, and Serahule. The approximately 3,500 non-African residents include Europeans and families of Lebanese origin (roughly 0.23% of the total population).

Muslims constitute more than 90% of the population. Christians of different denominations account for most of the remainder. Gambians officially observe the holidays of both religions.

More than 63% of Gambians live in rural villages (1993 census), although more and more young people come to the capital in search of work and education. Provisional figures from the 2003 census show that the gap between the urban and rural populations is narrowing as more areas are declared urban. While urban migration, development projects, and modernization are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, the traditional emphasis on the extended family, as well as indigenous forms of dress and celebration, remain integral parts of everyday life.

"Lawyers are reluctant to take on human rights cases for fear of reprisals and families of victims are afraid to speak out," a recent Amnesty report said. "The media, for the most part, censors itself in the face of arrests, fines, threats and physical attacks on those accused of criticising the government. All public protests have ceased.

Before the 1994 coup d'état, The Gambia was one of the oldest existing multi-party democracies in Africa. It had conducted freely contested elections every five years since independence. The People's Progressive Party (PPP), headed by former president Jawara, had dominated Gambian politics for nearly 30 years. After spearheading the movement toward complete independence from Britain, the PPP was voted into power and was never seriously challenged by any opposition party. The last elections under the PPP regime were held in April 1992.

Following the coup in July 1994, politicians from deposed President Jawara's People's Progressive Party (PPP) and other senior government officials were banned from participating in politics until July 2001. A presidential election took place in September 1996, in which retired Col. Yahya Jammeh won 56% of the vote. The legislative elections held in January 1997 were dominated by the APRC, which captured 33 out of 45 seats.

In July 2001, the ban on Jawara-era political parties and politicians was lifted. Four registered opposition parties participated in the October 18, 2001, presidential election, which the incumbent, President Yahya Jammeh, won with almost 53% of the votes. The APRC maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly in legislative elections held in January 2002, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections.

Jammeh won the 2006 election handily after the opposition coalition, the National Alliance for Democracy and Development, splintered earlier in the year. The voting was generally regarded as free and fair, though events from the run-up raised criticism from some. A journalist from the state television station assigned to the chief opposition candidate, Ousainou Darboe, was arrested. Additionally, Jammeh said, "I will develop the areas that vote for me, but if you don't vote for me, don't expect anything".

On the 21 and 22 March 2006, amid tensions preceding the 2006 presidential elections, an alleged planned military coup was uncovered. President Yahya Jammeh was forced to return from a trip to Mauritania, many suspected army officials were arrested, and prominent army officials, including the army chief of staff, fled the country.

There are claims circulating that this whole event was fabricated by the President incumbent for his own purposes; however, the veracity of these claims is not known, as no corroborating evidence has yet been brought forward.

The 1970 constitution, which divided the government into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, was suspended after the 1994 military coup. As part of the transition process, the AFPRC established the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) through decree in March 1995. In accordance with the timetable for the transition to a democratically elected government, the commission drafted a new constitution for The Gambia, which was approved by referendum in August 1996. The constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a unicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights.

 40% (about 3.2 million people) of Senegal's population speak Wolof as their mother tongue. Another 40% have it as a second language. In the region between Dakar and Saint-Louis, and also to the west and southwest of Kaolack, the majority of the population speak Wolof. In Casamance and west of Senegal, Wolof is used together with the diol and Mandinga. The official language of Senegal is French. 

In The Gambia about 15% of the population (about 200'000 people) has the Wolof mother tongue, but this language has a much greater influence on his importance to the capital, Banjul, on 50% of the population used as their first language. In Serrekunda, the largest city of Gambia, there are only a few people from Wolof ethnic group, but the language is spoken by about 90% of the population. Increasingly, young people of another ethnicity is used as a first language. 

The Wolof is gaining greater influence in The Gambia, in part because of its association with Mbalax music and popular culture of Senegal. In Banjul and Serrekunda, Wolof has achieved the status of lingua franca and is spoken more than the Mandinga, in the provinces, however, remains the Mandinga language. The official language of Gambia is English. Other languages, such as Mandinga (spoken by 40% of the population), the Wolof (15%) and Fula (15%) also have official status, although not used in education. 

In Mauritania, about 7% (approximately 185'000 persons) of the population speak Wolof. In this country, the language used in the southern coastal regions. The official language of Mauritania, Arabic, French is used as a lingua franca. 

The alphabet is Wolof recent, being invented in 1960 by Faye Asano, president of the Movement of African Language teachers. It has strong influences from Arabic, as the alphabet was used, together with the roman before Faye Asano. Taken from the Arabic writing direction (from right) and two of the 25 characters of the Wolof, and no initial start.

 The Gambian people are known for their excellent music and their dancing. Although Gambia is the smallest country in the continent of Africa, its culture is the product of many influences. The outline of national borders, a narrow strip on either side of the river Gambia, a body of water that has played a vital part in the destiny of the nation and is known locally simply as "The River". No natural barriers, The Gambia has become the home of most ethnic groups that are present throughout West Africa, particularly Senegal. The Europeans also a preeminent place in the history of the nation, because the River Gambia is navigable depth on the continent, a geographical feature that has made this area one of the most profitable trade in slaves from the 15th to 17th centuries. (He also strategic to the arrest of the trade once it was banned in the 19th century.) Part of the story was popularized in the book Alex Haley and television series "Roots," which was in Gambia. Although much of Haley's representation of the past have been discredited in some sectors, the government of Gambia has embraced the opportunity to serve as a cultural center of the African Diaspora and others who seek to better understand the rich heritage of African people.

Article 25 of the Constitution protects the rights of citizens to practice any religion that they choose. The government also did not establish a state religion. Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 90 percent of the country's population. The majority of the Muslims present in the Gambia adhere to Sunni laws and traditions. Virtually all commercial life in the Gambia comes to a standstill in major Muslim holidays, including Eid al-Atha and Eid ul-Fitr. Most Muslims in the Gambia follow the Maliki school of jurisprudence.

The Christian community represents about 8 percent of the population. Residing in the western and the southern parts of the Gambia, most of the Christian community identify themselves as Roman Catholic. However, there are smaller Christian groups present, such as Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses and small evangelical denominations. Due to immigration from South Asia, there is a presence of Buddhists and followers of the Baha'i Faith. The remaining 2 percent of the population adheres to indigenous beliefs. There are some atheists present in the Gambia.