Republic of The Gambia
The History of The Gambia
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The first written accounts of this region came in
the 9th and 10th centuries by Arab traders. These
Arab traders established the trans-Saharan trade
route for slaves, gold, and ivory. The area has
also been taken over by the Portuguese for the
use of trade.
The English bought the exclusive trade rights to
the region but eventually helped in the fight
against the slave trades.
In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colonial
entity from Britain.
More History
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In 1906, Slavery was abolished in The Gambia
During WWII Gambian troops fought with the
allies, and North American’s even used Gambia
as a port of call and air stop.
President Franklin Roosevelt even spent the night
in Banjul on his way to a conference in 1943,
making it the first visit to Africa by an American
President.
In 1962 full self government was granted to The
Gambia.
History Cont.
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The Gambia gained its independence from the UK
in 1965.
In 1970, The Gambia became a republic instead
of the traditional Monarchy.
In 1991, after a short lived federation with
Senegal, the two countries signed a friendship
and cooperation treaty.
In 1994 a military coup resulted in banned
political activity and an overthrown president.
In 1996 a new constitution was drafted and
presidential elections were held.
Government
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The government is divided into 1 city and 5 divisions.
Banjul is the capital of The Gambia.
5 divisions: Lower River, Central River, North Bank,
Upper River, Western.
The Gambia, a multi-party republic within the
Commonwealth, is administered by an Executive
President
Elections are held every 5 years through secret ballots
to elect candidates the the house of parliament
A new constitution was put into place in 1996. This
constitution better protects the rights of the people
and provides the government with a strong
presidential power, a unicameral legislature, and an
independent judiciary.
Economy
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Gambia is predominantly an agricultural country. Unlike the
U.S. who is predominantly industrial.
Exporting peanuts were the main source of income
(accounted for over 81%), until the government
contributed to losing the largest purchaser. (By seizing the
private peanut firm)
Gambia’s leading trading partners are China, Japan, and
Senegal
Pre-shipment inspections and currency has deterred much
of the trade
Until a recent military takeover, Tourism contributed to 60
% of their Gross Domestic Products.
Gambia has no significant natural resources or minerals.
Gambian Greeting & Culture
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Greetings key to successful interaction
with Gambians at every level (market,
street, office, or phone)
Greeting acknowledges existence of
another human being taking the time to
relate to him or her in a personal way is
priority in Gambian society helping to
achieve the goal of harmony and peace
Expected to greet every member of the
community regardless of status or wealth;
it shows respect and every member has
an important role to fulfill.
Gambian Greeting & Culture
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Shaking hands (right hand) is part of the greeting
process; people shake hands as often as they see
each other during different times of the day;
women however are not normally expected to
shake hands
Greeting a group of people or someone from a
distance, raising clasped hands takes place of the
handshake
When working or eating, the arm may be offered
instead
For greeting elders: a younger person greets an
elder first and avoids direct eye contact
Gambian Greeting & Culture
Gambians express anger by refusing
to greet the person; this is
considered a great insult denoting a
lack of respect
 Foreigners living in The Gambia must
realize that they may hurt people’s
feelings by not greeting every
individual with whom they come in
contact with even if it is during a
business transaction
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Gambian Greeting & Culture
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In Gambia it is not necessary to be invited to eat
at any meal. You are always welcome!
They eat from a large communal bowl; men have
one, women have one, and children have one
It is considered polite to wash your hands and
“taste” the food even if you don’t feel like eating.
If you do not want to continue eating you should
leave the eating area and wait until they are
through as it is considered impolite to watch
people eat
Right hand is used for eating (you eat with bare
hands) even if you are left handed; you may use
the offered spoon but eating with your hands is
done to “please” the host
Gambian Greeting & Culture
Talking while eating, especially by
children, is suppressed because it is
considered disrespectful to the food
and is against certain superstitions
 It is not considered rude to belch; on
the contrary it is an indication that
you have eaten well and your host
will be pleased.
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Gambian Greeting & Culture
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Clothes should cover most of the body and
fit loosely so that they shape of the body
is not revealed
In urban areas European style clothing is
commonly worn
English is the official language used in
schools, courts of law, and the
administration; local languages are widely
spoken also.
Links
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http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbo
ok/geos/ga.html for economy.
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factb
ook/geos/ga.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
/africa/gambia/culture.htm
http://gambiainformation.atspace.com/ga
mbia-government.html for government
http://www.worldtraveltips.net/africa/view
.cgi?country=Gambia this one has the
thing about shaking hands.