s livelihood. Small-scale
manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and
hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of
economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment
inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency)
have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The Gambia. The
Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of
the larger markets for tourism in West Africa. The government's 1998
seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest
purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an announced program to
begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans have been made public
that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on
its promises. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain
extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained
bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic
management, on continued technical assistance from the IMF and
bilateral donors, and on expected growth in the construction sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.25 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$461.2 million (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.5%
industry: 13.9%
services: 55.6% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
400,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 75%
industry: 19%
services: 6%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $112.7 million
expenditures: $155.1 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1
million (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),
palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages,
agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
145 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1