lood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use:
arable land: 18%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 45% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: 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, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on
the continent of Africa

@The Gambia:People

Population: 1,248,085 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 286,422; female 285,379)
15-64 years: 51% (male 318,699; female 324,264)
65 years and over: 3% (male 17,723; female 15,598) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.48% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 43.86 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 13.29 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.43 years
male : 51.16 years
female: 55.76 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.98 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola
10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-Gambian 1%

Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.6%
male : 52.8%
female: 24.9% (1995 est.)

@The Gambia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form : The Gambia

Data code: GA

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Banjul

Administrative divisi