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

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

@Gambia, The:People

Population: 1,291,858 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 296,108; female 295,136)
15-64 years: 52% (male 330,215; female 336,056)
65 years and over: 2% (male 18,194; female 16,149) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 43.3 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 12.93 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 77.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.91 years
male: 51.59 years
female: 56.29 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.91 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola
10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%

Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.6%
male: 52.8%
female: 24.9% (1995 est.)

@Gambia, The:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia

Data code: GA

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Banjul

Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower
River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
note: it has been reported but not verified that the name of the
MacCarthy Island division has been changed to Central River

Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); note-The Gambia and Senegal
signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation
of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement
was dissolved on 30 September 1989

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution: 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and
approved by national referendum 8