The population comprises the Mandinka (also known as Mandingo or Malinke), the largest ethnic group (representing about 42 percent of the country’s inhabitants); the Fulani (about 18 percent), who predominate in the eastern part of the country; the Wolof (about 16 percent), who live mainly in Banjul and the western region; the Jola (about 10 percent), who live in the western region; the Serahuli (about 9 percent), whose rulers introduced Islam into the region in the 12th century and who are primarily traders and nomads; and the small Aku community, partly descended from liberated slaves. In 2001, 31 percent of the population lived in urban areas.
The population of The Gambia (2003 estimate) is 1,501,050, making it one of the least populous countries of Africa. Still, the country has an overall population density of 133 persons per sq km (344 per sq mi), and the population is increasing at a rate of 3 percent a year. Banjul, formerly called Bathurst, is the capital and only seaport. The largest city is Serrekunda.
About 87 percent of the people of The Gambia are Muslim; 8 percent follow traditional religions, and 4 percent are Christian. English is the official language, but each ethnic group has its own language.
Primary education in The Gambia is free but not compulsory. In the 2000 school year 156,800 children were enrolled in primary school (75 percent of this age group), while 56,200 were enrolled in a secondary school (27 percent of secondary school-aged children). The country’s institutions of higher education include The Gambia College, in Bríkama, and several technical and training schools.
The Gambia’s economy depends largely on the production of a single crop, peanuts. The national budget in 1993 included revenue of $87 million and expenditure of $76 million.
Some 82 percent of the working population of The Gambia is engaged in agriculture. Rice and millet, as well as cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry, are raised for local consumption. Peanuts are grown primarily for export; the crop amounted to 151,000 metric tons in 2002. The sale of peanuts and peanut products accounted for about three-quarters of total yearly domestic exports by value in the 1990s. The government has introduced the raising of cotton, sisal, citrus fruits, and tobacco to diversify agricultural production. The coastal villages engage in fishing. In 1999 the fish catch was 30,004 metric tons, mostly from marine waters.
Manufacturing in The Gambia is limited mainly to the processing of peanuts and other primary products and to the building of fishing boats. Other manufactures include beverages, clothing, footwear, and handicrafts. The country’s unit of currency, adopted in 1971, is the dalasi (15.69 dalasi equal U.S.$1; 2001 average), consisting of 100 butut; it is issued by the Central Bank of The Gambia (1971). The cost of The Gambia’s yearly imports is usually much more than its export earnings; in 2000 imports totalled $210 million and exports were valued at $9 million.