LYCOS RETRIEVER
Gambia: River Gambia
built 634 days ago
The Gambia is situated on the Atlantic on Africa's vibrant West Coast. It's a thin strip of land of mainly low-lying plateau that runs inland and is packed with exotic sights and sounds for the visitor. Mangrove swamps, park-like savannah and unspoiled beaches all feature in The Gambias incredible landscape. The capital city of Banjul is the largest town and offers visitors plenty of sightseeing apportunities including the area around MacCarthy Square with its colonial atmosphere and elegant 19th-century architecture. The River Gambia is one of Africa's great waterways and dominates the country. It provides opportunities for fishing, boating and sailing and there are many camps and lodges along its banks.
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The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. It is the smallest country on the African continental mainland and is bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coastline onto the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The River Gambia flows through the centre of the country and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. On 18 February 1965, The Gambia became independent from the British Empire. Banjul is its capital.
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[T]he Portuguese, interested mainly in exploration along the Gambian coast, didn't stake out too much claim on The Gambia. They handed trading rights to the British in 1588. Soon British trading merchants arrived and founded settlements along the Gambia River. In 1816, they purchased Saint Mary's Island from a local chief and established Banjul, then known as Bathurst. This city was important early on especially for its use as a buffer against the slave trade.
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The Gambia is a very small and narrow country whose borders mirror the meandering Gambia River. The country is less than 48 km wide, with a total area of 11,300 km². Its present boundaries were defined in 1889 after an agreement between the United Kingdom and France. It is almost an enclave of Senegal, and is the smallest country on the continent of Africa.
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The Gambia is a largely agricultural country, and its people are poor. Peanuts, the main crop, are grown largely for export. Tourism ... helps the economy. Beaches along the Atlantic coast draw visitors to The Gambia, as does the rich bird life along the Gambia River.
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The main natural resource of The Gambia is the Gambia River, one of Africa’s best navigable waterways. Small ocean-going vessels can go upstream for about 200 km (125 mi) from the coast, and smaller craft can continue for another 200 km. The country’s soil is mostly poor and sandy, except in the swamps along the rivers. However, this sandy soil is ideally suited for the cultivation of peanuts, upon which the economy depends. Fish are increasing in economic importance. Seismic surveys have indicated the possibility that petroleum and natural gas exist offshore.
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