mbers serve five-year
terms) elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held NA January
2007) election results: Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation
and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH]; Gambian People's
Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP
Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff
DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's
Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia
JATTA] note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed
the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned
since 1996

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John
P. BOJANG chancery: Suite 1000, 1155
[1] (202) 785-1430 telephone:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Jackson McDONALD embassy: Fajara, Kairaba
P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone:
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with
white edges, and green

Economy Gambia, The

Economy - overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other
natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the
population depends on crops and livestock for its 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 Banjul. The government's 1998 seizure
of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser
of Gambian groundnuts; the following two marketing seasons have seen
substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism in 2000
has also held back growth. Unemployment and underemployment rates are
extremely high. Shortrun economic progress remains highly dependent
on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government
economic managem