-dollar figure: $91 million (1996)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.6% (1996)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial
Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

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@Gambia, The
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Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and
Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 11,300 sq km
land: 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 740 km
border countries: Senegal 740 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler,
dry season (November to May)

Terrain: flood 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

People

Population: 1,336,320 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 305,839; female 304,905)
15-64 years: 52% (male 341,947; female 348,163)
65 years and over: 2% (male 18,706; female 16,760) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.35% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 42.76 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.57 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(