The main trading partners for exports were Japan, Belgium and Luxembourg, Senegal, Guinea, France, and the United States; principal partners for imports were the China, Côte d’Ivoire, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Germany, Senegal, Thailand, and the United States. The Gambia’s tourist industry is a growing source of foreign exchange; the country hosted 91,000 visitors in 1998. The Gambia River is navigable for about 190 km (about 120 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean by small ocean-going vessels. There are 2,700 km (1,678 mi) of roads; the construction of a major road south of the river has reduced the importance of the river as a major artery of transportation. The country has no railroads. An international airport is located at Yundum, near Banjul. Broadcasters include government-operated Radio Gambia and a commercial station, Radio Syd. Until the military took over The Gambia’s government in a bloodless coup in 1994, the country was governed by a 1970 constitution. Under military President Yahya Jammeh, a new constitution was approved by public referendum in August 1996 and came into effect in January 1997. Under this constitution a popularly elected president serves as head of state for a five-year term. The president may serve an unlimited number of terms. The country’s legislative body is the unicameral National Assembly. Forty-eight of the legislature’s 53 members are popularly elected to five-year terms; the president appoints the other 5. In parliamentary elections held in January 2002, 45 out of 48 elected seats went to members of Jammeh’s political party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorganization and Cooperation (APRC).
The judicial system consists of a supreme court with unlimited jurisdiction, an appeal court, and subordinate magistrate and divisional courts. Special Muslim courts handle civil actions between Muslim citizens. Minor civil and criminal cases are tried in-group tribunals.
Stone circles, tools, and pottery found near Banjul indicate early occupation of the area; evidence of iron works dates from the 8th century AD. Numerous ethnic groups entered The Gambia after the 13th century. Chief among these were the Mandinka, Wolof, and Fulani peoples. Early states paid tribute to the Mali Empire; the different groups later created small riverine kingdoms. In 1455 Portuguese explorers entered the region and soon established trading stations along the river. Chartered companies from England and France supplanted these in the 17th century. In 1816 the British purchased Banjul Island from the ruler of a local kingdom, and founded the town of Bathurst (now Banjul). Despite endemic wars, Britain resisted expansion into the upper river areas until the European race for African territory began.