The Gambia Facts and Figures. BASIC FACTS Official name Capital Area Republic of The Gambia Banjul 11,295 sq km 4,361 sq mi PEOPLE Population 1,735,464 (2008 estimate) Population growth Population growth rate 2.72 percent (2008 estimate) Projected population in 2025 2,624,964 (2025 estimate) Projected population in 2050 4,068,861 (2050 estimate) Population density 174 persons per sq km (2008 estimate) 449 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate) Urban/rural distribution Share urban 26 percent (2005 estimate) Share rural 74 percent (2005 estimate) Largest cities, with population Banjul 372,000 (2003 estimate) Serrekunda 102,600 (1986 estimate) Brikama 24,300 (1986 estimate) B akau 23,600 (1986 estimate) Ethnic groups Mandinka 42 percent Fulani 18 percent Wolof 16 percent Jola 10 percent Serahuli 9 percent O ther 5 percent Languages English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fulfulde, French, other indigenous vernaculars Religious affiliations Muslim 87 percent Christian 4 percent Indigenous beliefs 8 percent O ther 1 percent HEALTH AND EDUCATION Life expectancy Total 55 years (2008 estimate) Female 56.9 years (2008 estimate) Male 53.1 years (2008 estimate) Infant mortality rate Population per physician Population per hospital bed Literacy rate Total Female Male Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) Number of years of compulsory schooling Number of students per teacher, primary school 69 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate) 28,571 people (2004) 1,637 people (1990) 42.4 percent (2005 estimate) 35 percent (2005 estimate) 50.2 percent (2005 estimate) 3 percent (2002-2003) Not available 38 students per teacher (2002-2003) GOVERNMENT Form of government Multiparty republic Voting qualifications Universal at age 18 Constitution 16 January 1997 Armed forces Total number of military personnel Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) 800 (2004) 0.6 percent (2003) ECONOMY Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$) GDP per capita (U.S.$) $511 million (2006) $307.10 (2006) GDP by economic sector Agriculture, forestry, fishing 32.6 percent (2005) I ndustry 13.1 percent (2005) Services 54.2 percent (2005) Employment Number of workers Workforce share of economic sector Agriculture, forestry, fishing 711,374 (2006) 82 percent (1990) I ndustry 8 percent (1990) Services 11 percent (1990) Unemployment rate 13.8 percent (1999) National budget (U.S.$) Total revenue $86.68 million (1993) Total expenditure $86.68 million (1993) Monetary unit 1 dalasi (D), consisting of 100 bututs Major trade partners for exports United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, France, and Netherlands Major trade partners for imports China, Senegal, Brazil, United Kingdom, and Belgium ENERGY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND TRANSPORTATION Electricity production Electricity from thermal sources 100 percent (2003 estimate) Electricity from hydroelectric sources 0 percent (2003 estimate) Electricity from nuclear sources 0 percent (2003 estimate) Electricity from geothermal, solar, and wind sources 0 percent (2003 estimate) Number of radios per 1,000 people 374 (1999 estimate) Number of telephones per 1,000 people 29 (2005) Number of televisions per 1,000 people 2.9 (2000 estimate) Number of Internet hosts per 10,000 people 4.2 (2003) Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people 2 (1996) Number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people 7 (2004) Paved road as a share of total roads 19 percent (2004) SOURCES Basic Facts and People sections Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org). Health and Education section Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Government section Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data is from Military Balance. Economy section Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the statistical bureaus of individual countries, latest Europa World Yearbook, and various United Nations and International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications. Energy, Communication, and Transportation section Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Note Figures may not total 100 percent due to rounding. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
