km (1982)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.03 cu km/yr (23%/12%/65%)
per capita: 20 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of
Africa

People
Gambia, The

Population:

1,735,464 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.9% (male 382,385/female 378,853)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 459,315/female 466,689)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 24,303/female 23,919) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.9 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.724% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

38.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.74 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 68.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 75.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 62.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 54.95 years
male: 53.06 years
female: 56.9 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.13 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

6,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

600 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo
hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups:

African 99% (Mandinka