With a total area of 11,295 square kilometers (4,000 square miles), the Republic of The Gambia is the smallest country on the continent of Africa. It is bordered by Senegal on all sides except on the Atlantic coast, and for this reason the two countries have many ethnic and cultural ties. The Gambia's population, estimated at 1,501,050 in 2003, consists primarily of Muslim ethnic groups, but 10 percent of the population is Christian. English is the official language, although a number of African dialects are spoken widely. The capital of the country is Banjul (called Bathurst until 1973).

The Gambia came under total British control in 1902 and was a British colony until 1965. A system of local rule was established until World War II

(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)

(1939–1945), when Britain began to prepare the country for independence. The Gambia achieved self-governance in 1963 and independence on February 1965. After a referendum in...