Gambia

Climate

Tropical; hot, rainy season June to November; cooler, dry season November to May; Natural hazards : drought rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years.

National holidays

The Gambia celebrates its independence day on 18th February. This small country gained its independence in 1965. There is also the Muslim festival of EID which is celebrated by virtually all Gambians and is a 2 to 3 day event where up to 250.000 animals are slaughtered to provide food for the feast. It is also a time when Gambians, especially female, dress in their finest regalia and buy new dresses at up to 3000 Dalasi.

History

The Gambia gained its independence from the UK on 18th February 1965. A constitution was written on 24th April 1970, before being suspended in July 1994 and subsequently rewritten and approved by national referendum on 8th August 1996. It was reestablished in January 1997.

The Gambia formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned political activity, but a new 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early 2002.

Terrain

Flood plain of the Gambia river flanked by some low hills — the highest point is just 53m above sea level.