5% population of
working age (1983)

_#_Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of The Gambia

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Banjul

_#_Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower
River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western

_#_Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal
signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982)
that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as
Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989

_#_Constitution: 24 April 1970

_#_Legal system: based on a composite of English common law,
Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alhaji Sir Dawda
Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO
(since 12 May 1982)

_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. JAWARA, secretary general;
National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff DIBBA;
Gambian People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa CAMARA;
United Party (UP);
People's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21

_#_Elections:

President--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992);
results--Sir Dawda JAWARA (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha DIBBA (NCP) 25.2%,
Assan Musa CAMARA (GPP) 13.7%;

House of Representatives--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to
be held by March 1992);
results--PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%;
seats--(43 total, 36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5

_#_Communists: no Communist party

_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at
Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005;
telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359;

US--Ambassador Arlene RENDER; Embassy at Pipeline Road
(Kairaba Avenue), Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19,
Banju