Gambia Passport

[Country Name] The Republic of The Gambia.

【 Area 】 11295 square kilometers.

The population is 2.42 million. The main ethnic groups are: Mandingo (42% of the population), Fula (also known as Pall, 16%), Wolof (16%), Jura (10%), and Serahuri (9%). The official language is English, and the ethnic languages include Mandingo, Wolof, Fula (also known as Pall), and Serahuli. 90% of the residents believe in Islam, while the rest believe in Protestantism, Catholicism, and primitive religions.

Banjul, the capital, has a population of 34600.

Adama Barrow, the head of state, was elected in December 2016 and re elected in December 2021.

Independence Day: February 18th.

【 Overview 】 Located in West Africa, it is a narrow plain embedded within the territory of the Republic of Senegal. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and has a coastline of 48 kilometers. It belongs to the tropical grassland climate, with an average temperature of about 27 ℃ in the mainland.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Portuguese invaded. Afterwards, British and French colonizers also invaded one after another. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles transferred both banks of the Gambia River to England and Senegal to France. In 1889, Britain and France reached an agreement to delineate the current border of Ganges. On February 18, 1965, Oka officially gained independence. The Republic was established on April 24, 1970. After independence, the People's Progressive Party held power for a long time, and Javarado was re elected as president for the second time. In July 1994, Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh launched a mutiny, overthrowing the rule of Jawara and the People's Progressive Party, and establishing a temporary ruling committee of the armed forces chaired by Jammeh. In September 1996, Jammeh was elected president and was re elected three times in 2001, 2006, and 2011.

On December 1, 2016, The Gambia held a new presidential election. The largest opposition party, Adama Barrow, who came from the United Democratic Party, won the presidency with 43.3% of the vote, defeating Jammeh (39.6%) who had been in power for 22 years and candidate Conti (17.1%) of the Gambia Democratic Congress Party, supported by seven opposition parties. Jammeh backed out after admitting defeat, but soon fled to Equatorial Guinea under the military intervention of the Western Community. In February 2017, President Barrow was sworn in. On December 4, 2021, Gang held a new presidential election, and President Barrow won re-election with 53.2% of the vote. In April 2022, Gang held legislative elections, and the National People's Party became the largest party in the parliament. At present, the overall situation in Gang is stable.

The current Constitution was passed by a national referendum on August 8, 1996. The Constitution stipulates that the President is the Head of State, the Head of Government, and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces; The president is directly elected for a term of 5 years, with no limit on the number of consecutive terms; The President, Vice President, and government ministers are accountable to the National Assembly; The Vice President and various ministers are appointed by the President; The President may declare a 'national emergency' as appropriate.

The parliament is a unicameral system called the National Assembly, with a term of 5 years and one speaker and one deputy speaker, both elected by members of parliament. The current parliament was established in April 2021, with a total of 58 seats, including 53 elected members and 5 members appointed by the president. The current Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta is a member of the Patriotic Adjustment and Construction Party. On April 9, 2022, in the Gambian legislative elections, the National People's Party won 18 seats, the United Democratic Party won 15 seats, the National Reconciliation Party won 4 seats, the Organization for Independence and Socialist People's Democracy won 2 seats, the Patriotic Adjustment and Construction Alliance won 2 seats, and independent individuals won 12 seats.

The current government was established in May 2022. In March 2024, President Barrow announced a government reshuffle. The main members include: President Adama Barrow, Vice President Mohammed B.S. Jallow, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dawda A. Jallow, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Diaspora Affairs Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Seedy Keita, Minister of Defense Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Interior Abdoulie Sanyang, Minister of Tourism and Culture Abdoudie Jobe, Minister of Land, Local Government and Religious Affairs Hamat N.K. Bah. Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security Demba Sabally, Minister of Transport, Engineering and Infrastructure Ebrima Sillah, Health Minister Amadou Lamin Samateh, Gender, Children and Social Welfare Minister Fatou Kinteh, Oil and Energy Minister Nani Juwara, Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Affairs Minister Musa S. Drammeh, Higher Education and Research Minister Pierre Gomez concurrently serving as Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources Minister Rohey John Manjang, Youth and Sports Minister Bakary Badjie, Information Minister Ismaila Sese Ceesay also serves as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

【 Administrative divisions 】 The country is divided into the capital city of Banjul (including Banjul city and Kanifin city) and five local administrative districts (Western District, Lower River District, Middle River District, Upper River District, and North Bank District), with 43 counties below the district level and villages as grassroots units.

The judicial system is divided into the Supreme Court and local courts. Based on the British judicial system, supplemented by domestic laws, Muslim law, and traditional customary law. The Judicial Service Commission was established in 1997, responsible for appointing judicial officials and court personnel, with the Grand Justice serving as its chairman. Minister of Justice and Attorney General Uda Jallow, Chief Justice Hassan Jollow, took office in February 2017.

After the military regime came to power in 1994, party activities were banned, and the ban was lifted in 1996. In October 2016, seven opposition parties formed an alliance and jointly nominated Barrow, who came from the United Democratic Party, as the presidential candidate, winning the December election in one fell swoop. At present, the main political parties in Gang are:

(1) The National People's Party (NPP) was established on December 31, 2019. The Party motto is' peace, progress, and unity '. There are 18 seats in this parliament.

(2) The United Democratic Party (UDP): Established on August 31, 1996, with mostly Mandingo members. The purpose is democracy, freedom, security, justice, peace, and progress. The General Secretary, former Vice President Ousainou Dabo, holds 15 seats in this parliament.

(3) The National Reconciliation Party (NRP): a member of the current ruling coalition. Established in August 1996. Chairman Hamat Bah. There are 4 seats in this parliament.

(4) People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS): a member of the current ruling coalition. Established in July 1986, advocating that social and political life should not be restricted by clan, religion, or ideology, and demanding democracy, freedom, and human rights. Chairman Halifa Sallah. I hold 2 seats in this parliament.

(5) People's Progress Party (PPP): A member of the current ruling coalition, who has long been in power since the independence of the country, founded by former President Jawara. The main supporters are the Mandingo tribe. Advocate for maintaining the independence and sovereignty of The Gambia, developing the national economy, implementing a democratic system, and opposing major powers' interference in African affairs. Current Chairman Omar Jallow.

(6) The Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP): a member of the current ruling coalition, founded in 2006. The chairman is Henry Gomez.

(7) National Convention Party: A member of the current ruling coalition and the main opposition party during the reign of former President Jawala. Advocate for the development of national economy, national industry and commerce, encourage private investment, and pursue a non aligned policy towards foreign countries. The chairman is Sheriff Dibba.

(8) Gambia Moral Congress: A member of the current ruling coalition, established in 2009, with the aim of advocating for human rights and economic fairness and justice. Its chairman is Mai Fatty. Chairman Mai Fatty

(9) The Alliance for Patriotic Re orientation and Construction (APRC): the opposition party. The ruling party during the Jiamei period. Established on August 26, 1996, with members mostly from the Zula ethnic group. The purpose is unity, self-reliance, and progress. The chairman is former President Yahya Jammeh. I hold 2 seats in this parliament.

(10) The Gambia Democratic Congress. opposition party. Established in 2016, it is a political party that separated from the Patriotic Adjustment and Construction Alliance, with Mama Kandeh, a former member of the Alliance, serving as its chairman. I hold 5 seats in this parliament.

Adama Barrow: President. Born in 1965. Once engaged in business and resided in the UK. In 1996, he joined the United Democratic Party and served as the Deputy Treasurer of the Party's National Executive Committee, Coordinator of the Shanghe District Committee, and National Treasurer. In September 2016, he announced his candidacy for the presidential election as a candidate of the party, and later ran as an independent candidate with the support of seven opposition parties, winning in one fell swoop. Elected and re elected in December 2021.

Economy refers to the least developed countries and heavily indebted poor countries, with agriculture, transit trade, and tourism as the main sources of income. The economy is small, the industrial foundation is weak, and food cannot be self-sufficient. The total arable land area in China is 605000 hectares, with a crop planting area of 10000 hectares, half of which are planted with peanuts. Peanut exports are a traditional foreign exchange industry. Implement free trade policies and promote active transit trade. The total output value of the tourism industry accounts for 21% of the gross domestic product, absorbs 17.2% of the country's employment opportunities, and receives 200000 tourists annually. After taking office, Barrow identified agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and health as key and priority areas of governance, stating that he would increase investment and actively promote the development of manufacturing, mining, and other industries, promote youth employment, and improve people's lives; Actively seeking international assistance. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 2.34 billion US dollars

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 843.8 US dollars

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 5.3%

Inflation rate: 17%

Currency name: Dalasi

Exchange rate: 1 USD ≈ 54.92 Dalasi

(Source: World Bank)

Resources are scarce. It has been discovered that there are mixed minerals of titanium, zirconium, and rutile (with reserves of about 1.5 million tons) and kaolin (over 500000 tons), and oil exploration is underway.

The industrial output value accounts for approximately 17.1% of the gross domestic product. Weak foundation and slow development. Mainly for agricultural product processing and construction industry, with a small amount of light industry.

The agricultural output value accounts for approximately 23.7% of the gross domestic product. The agricultural population accounts for 75% of the total labor force in the country. The arable land area is 605000 hectares, with half of it planted with peanuts. The main grain crops include corn, millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, rice, etc. Grain cannot be self-sufficient, and most of the rice needs to be imported, mainly from Asia.

In recent years, the government has invested heavily in the fishing industry, resulting in a significant increase in its output value. At present, there are 8 fishery processing plants, 15 registered fishing vessels, and over 3000 fishermen in Gang. 90% of the production is exported to Europe. Due to overfishing by foreign tugboats, deep-sea fishery resources are nearing depletion.

In recent years, the tourism industry has developed rapidly and has become the second largest employment industry in the country, serving as one of the main sources of foreign exchange for the country. The output value of the tourism industry accounts for about 21% of the gross domestic product, and the employment opportunities in the tourism industry account for 17.2% of the total employment opportunities in the country. Tourist consumption is equivalent to 90.6% of the total export value of the country that year. At present, there are about 40 hotels in China, with approximately 3000 rooms and 7000 beds. We receive approximately 200000 foreign tourists annually. Tourists mainly come from European countries such as the UK, Sweden, and Germany.

There is no railway for transportation.

Highway: The total length is 3742 kilometers, including 723 kilometers of asphalt roads and 3019 kilometers of gravel and dirt roads.

Water transportation: The Gambia River runs through the entire east-west region and is the main transportation route for the inland areas of the country. Banjul Port is a major international shipping port in Gangnam, handling 800 TEUs of containers per month and an annual throughput of 2 million tons.

Air transportation: Yundum International Airport in the capital city can take off and land various large passenger planes, with an annual capacity of transporting 1 million passengers. There are regular flights to countries such as Belgium, Ghana, and Senegal every week.

Financial difficulties and consecutive deficits. The main source of income is taxes, with a small amount being aid payments.

As of October 2021, the total external debt amounted to 770 million US dollars. As of the end of 2021, foreign exchange reserves (excluding gold) amounted to 653 million US dollars. (Source: Economic Quarterly Review)

The Central Bank of The Gambia was established in 1971 and is responsible for formulating and implementing national monetary and credit policies, as well as regulating commercial banking operations. As of 2011, there were a total of 13 commercial banks in Hong Kong, in addition to several foreign currency exchange stations and non bank financial institutions. The Gambia Standard Bank is the largest commercial bank.

Implement a free trade policy, with low import tariffs and active transit trade to neighboring countries. Mainly importing food, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial products, mineral products, and fuel lubricants; The main exports include peanuts, peanut products, fishery products, etc. In 2021, the main export targets will be Senegal, Mali, Colombia, Guinea Bissau, China, etc., and the import will be mainly from Norway, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Türkiye, Brazil, etc. The recent trade situation of goods is as follows (in millions of US dollars):