The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, a narrow strip of land following the Gambia River from the Atlantic Ocean 300 kilometers inland. Senegal surrounds the country on three sides. The entire nation exists within a width of approximately 48 kilometers at its widest point on either side of the river. Banjul, the capital, sits on St Mary's Island at the river mouth. Serekunda is the actual largest city with a population exceeding 300,000, while Banjul proper holds fewer than 40,000 residents. The river defines everything about the country's shape and economy and settlement patterns.
The Mandinka are the largest ethnic group at approximately 34 percent of the population. The Fula constitute around 22 percent. The Wolof make up roughly 12 percent. The Jola represent approximately 10 percent. The Serahuli account for about 9 percent. Smaller groups include the Serer, Manjago, and Aku. The Aku are Creole descendants of freed slaves who settled in Bathurst, as Banjul was called under British rule. English is the official language, a legacy of colonial administration. Mandinka, Wolof, and Fula function as lingua francas in different regions. Most Gambians speak at least two languages. Islam is practiced by approximately 95 percent of the population. The remaining population is predominantly Christian.
Portuguese explorers reached the Gambia River mouth in 1455. The river became a major slave trade route. British merchants established Fort James on what is now Kunta Kinteh Island in 1651. The fort changed hands between Britain and France multiple times. The British formally established the Gambia Colony in 1821. The territory became a British Protectorate in 1894. The Gambia achieved independence on February 18, 1965. Dawda Jawara became the first Prime Minister and later the first President when the country became a republic in 1970. Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly James Island, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 as part of the monuments documenting the slave trade.
Yahya Jammeh seized power in a military coup on July 22, 1994. He ruled for 22 years. In December 2016, Adama Barrow won the presidential election. Jammeh initially refused to accept the results. A constitutional crisis followed. The Economic Community of West African States threatened military intervention. Jammeh went into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017. Barrow returned from Senegal where he had taken refuge and assumed office. The Gambia rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations in 2018, having withdrawn in 2013 under Jammeh.
The Senegambia Confederation existed from 1982 to 1989, linking Senegal and The Gambia in a loose union following a 1981 coup attempt in The Gambia. Senegalese troops intervened to restore Jawara to power. The confederation dissolved due to tensions over sovereignty and economic integration. The relationship left lasting infrastructure connections, particularly the Trans-Gambia Highway which crosses Senegalese territory.
Foday Kaba Dumbuya led resistance against French colonial expansion in the Casamance region south of The Gambia during the late 19th century. His campaigns extended into Gambian territory. He was killed in 1901. Mansa Demba Sonko ruled the Kombo region in the 18th century and negotiated with British merchants. These rulers operated within systems predating colonial boundaries, reflecting political structures organized around kinship and trade networks rather than the riverine geography that defines the modern state.
Domoda is a peanut stew served over rice, the national dish. Groundnuts are the primary agricultural export and dominate local cuisine. Benachin means "one pot" in Wolof. The dish combines rice with fish or meat and vegetables. Yassa involves marinating chicken or fish in lemon juice and onions before grilling or frying. Superkanja is an okra-based stew with fish, palm oil, and leafy greens. Tapalapa is a dense bread baked in clay ovens. Wonjo is a drink made from dried hibiscus flowers, also called bissap in neighboring countries. Attaya is a social practice of brewing Chinese green tea in three rounds of increasing sweetness, served in small glasses over extended conversation.
The Wassu Stone Circles in the Central River Region contain 11 stone circles with 54 stones. The megaliths stand up to 2.5 meters tall. Archaeological evidence dates them between the 3rd century BCE and the 16th century CE. The site became part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2006 alongside similar circles in Senegal. The stones mark burial sites. The civilization that built them remains archaeologically unclear beyond evidence of ironworking and burial practices.