Gambia is een heel klein en smal land waarvan de grenzen de meanderende rivier weerspiegelen die zijn naam deelt.
It is less than 50 kilometres wide at its widest point, with a total area of 11,295 km2. About 1,300 square kilometres or 11.5% of The Gambia’s total area is covered by water. It is the smallest country on the African mainland. In comparative terms, and has a total area slightly less than that of the island of Jamaica. Bron Wikipedia
As can be seen on the map below, it is surrounded on three sides by its neighbour Senegal.
Een interessante geschiedenis.
A small country with an interesting history. Up until 1965, it was occupied mostly by the French and the British. Each trying to achieve control of the lucrative River which runs through its entire length. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 18 February 1965. From 1965 until 1994 its president was Dawda Jawara and his People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
Following a military coup led by Yahya Jammeh and with two years of direct rule, a new constitution was written and in 1996, the leader of the AFPRC, Yahya Jammeh, was elected as President. He ruled in a dictatorship until the 2016 election, which Adama Barrow won freeing the Gambia from more than 25 years of fear.
Het Gemenebest, vertrek en terugkeer
Under Jammeh’s rule, it left the Commonwealth of Nations on 3 October 2013. Stating “We will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution. And will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism”.
With the support of the British government, President Adama Barrow made an application to rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22/1/2018 and subsequently renewed its status as a Commonwealth republic on 8/2/2018.
Presidents from 1965 – present day
Climate.
Gambia heeft een tropisch klimaat. Regens beginnen meestal in juni en gaan door tot november. Augustus wordt beschouwd als de natste maand. Van november tot mei staat bekend als het droge seizoen met bijna 12 uur zon per dag. De temperaturen liggen meestal tussen de 30 graden en 34 graden.
Talen die in Gambia worden gesproken.
Engels is de officiële taal van Gambia en wordt het meest gesproken. Frans wordt ook gesproken vanwege de nabijheid van Gambia tot Senegal. De meest populaire lokale taal is Mandinka, gevolgd door Wolof, Fula, Serer, Krio en Jola.
De Gambiaanse economie
Gambia’s economy relies heavily upon Agriculture, fishing and ever increasingly Toerisme. Namely birding safaris en in recent years yoga has become very popular. It has many other activities while on holiday such as great beaches, culture and of course fotografie.
Het eten
Locals like their food tasty and use pepper and spices quite a lot through most dishes. Chicken Yassa is widely regarded as the most popular being served at weddings and other ceremonies such as naming ceremonies.