Where is gambia located

About two-thirds of the population is engaged in raising livestock or growing crops, such as rice, maize, millet, sorghum, and cassava. Small-scale manufacturing includes processing peanuts, fish, and hides.

The country lies within the Sudanian climatic region, with a distinct short rainy season and a long dry season. The Gambia has also found a niche in tourism, taking advantage of its beautiful beaches, warm water, and nature retreats. It is well known for bird watching, with over species of birds recorded Barlow and Wacher, Banjul is the capital and the largest city in The Gambia.

In the s the built up area of the city and surrounding towns covered only St. Some Muslim clerics are literate in Arabic. The population being overwhelmingly Muslim. There are a small number of Christians—predominantly, Roman Catholic—and some adherents of traditional beliefs. The population growth rate and infant mortality rate in The Gambia are among the highest in western Africa.

The population is young, with about two-thirds under age Life expectancy is comparable to the regional average but lower than that of the world. Gambian agriculture can be described as a classic monoculture; peanuts groundnuts are the most valuable agricultural commodity.

Land is cleared by the slash-and-burn technique, but farmers practice conservation. Most land is held in common by the villagers.

There is a sharp division of labour, with men involved in planting, cultivating, and harvesting cash crops while women cultivate subsistence crops such as cassava, yams, eggplant, tomatoes, rice, and lentils. There are citrus orchards in the western area near Banjul. Climate: The climate of the Gambia is tropical with distinct dry and wet season. The dry season is between November and May. The dry season weather in the Gambia is influenced by the northeasterly dry winds locally called Hamattan from the Sahara.

The wet season is in the summer months beginning June until October. Mean annual rainfall ranges between mm in the southwest to less than mm in the northeast. Terrain: The topography of the Gambia is dominated by the River Gambia, which runs east to west through the entire length of the country. The terrain is dominantly floodplain flanked on both banks by low laterite hills. Natural Resources: With no commercially viable mineral resources, land and water resources are central to Gambian life.

Running the entire length of the country the river provides vital socioeconomic, cultural, scientific, aesthetic and environmental values. Since the arrival of Europeans in s, the River Gambia has been a major trade and transportation route to the African hinterland, transporting everything from bee-wax, Ivory, iron, gold, slaves to groundnuts and ecotourists. Since s river transportation has been dominated by passenger traffic across the river. Irrigation agriculture tidal or mechanized is the highest user of the river water.

Western Gambia in general and the urban centers in particular depend entirely on groundwater resources for domestic and industrial use. Approximately plant species, species of mammals, and over bird species a third of these birds are Palearctic migrants are known to exist in the Gambia. The sheltered coastline is known to be breeding and nursery grounds for a diverse number of fish and marine wildlife.

Industries: Manufacturing industry in the Gambia includes ground processing, soap making Banjul Breweries, cottage industries and a foundry.