| Previous Page | ||
|
government type:
republic capital: banjul administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; banjul*. central river. lower river. north bank. upper river. western independence: 18 february 1965 (from uk) national holiday: independence day. 18 february (1965) constitution: 24 april 1970; suspended july 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 august 1996; reestablished january 1997 legal system: based on a composite of english common law. koranic law. and customary law; accepts compulsory icj jurisdiction. with reservations suffrage: 18 years of age; universal executive branch: chief of state: president yahya a. j. j. jammeh (since 18 october 1996; note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the junta); vice president isatou njie saidy (since 20 march 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: president yahya a. j. j. jammeh (since 18 october 1996; note - from 1994 to 1996 was he chairman of the junta); vice president isatou njie saidy (since 20 march 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 october 2001 (next to be held october 2006) election results: yahya a. j. j. jammeh reelected president; percent of vote - yahya a. j. j. jammeh 52.9%. ousainou darboe 32.7% legislative branch: unicameral national assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote. five appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 17 january 2002 (next to be held february 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - na%; seats by party - aprc 45. pdois 2. nrp 1. judicial branch: supreme court political parties and leaders: alliance for patriotic reorientation and construction or aprc - the ruling party [yahya a. j. j. jammeh]; gambian people's party-progressive people's party-united democratic party or gpp-ppp-udp coalition [ousainou darboe]; national convention party or ncp [sheriff dibba]; national reconciliation party or nrp [hamat n. k. bah]; people's democratic organization for independence and socialism or pdois [sidia jatta] note: in august 2001. an independent electoral commission allowed the reregistration of the gpp. ncp. and ppp. three parties banned since 1996 political pressure groups and leaders: na international organization participation: acp. afdb. au. c. ecowas. fao. g-77. ibrd. icao. icct. icftu. icrm. ida. idb. ifad. ifc. ifrcs. ilo. imf. imo. interpol. ioc. iom. itu. miga. nam. oic. onub. opcw. un. unamsil. unctad. unesco. unido. unmee. unmil. unoci. upu. wcl. wco. wftu. who. wipo. wmo. wtoo. wto diplomatic representation in the us: chief of mission: ambassador (vacant) chancery: suite 905. 1156 15th street nw. washington. dc 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379 fax: [1] (202) 785-1430 diplomatic representation from the us: chief of mission: ambassador joseph d. stafford. iii embassy: kairaba avenue. fajara. banjul mailing address: p. m. b. no. 19. banjul telephone: [220] 392856. 392858. 391971 fax: [220] 392475 flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top). blue with white edges. and green economy - overview: the gambia has no significant mineral or natural resource deposits and has a limited agricultural base. about 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts. fish. and hides. reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity. but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan. and instability of the gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from the gambia. the government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of gambian groundnuts. despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals. no plans have been made public that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on its promises. unemployment and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid. on responsible government economic management. on continued technical assistance from the imf and bilateral donors. and on expected growth in the construction sector. gdp (purchasing power parity): $3.094 billion (2005 est.) gdp (official exchange rate): $443.7 million (2005 est.) gdp - real growth rate: 7.1% (2005 est.) gdp - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1.900 (2005 est.) gdp - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.5% industry: 12.2% services: 52.3% (2005 est.) labor force: 400.000 (1996) labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%. industry. commerce. and services 19%. government 6% unemployment rate: na population below poverty line: na household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: na highest 10%: na inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.8% (2005 est.) investment (gross fixed): 25.8% of gdp (2005 est.) budget: revenues: $46.63 million expenditures: $62.66 million. including capital expenditures of $4.1 million (2005 est.) agriculture - products: rice. millet. sorghum. peanuts. corn. sesame. cassava (tapioca). palm kernels; cattle. sheep. goats industries: processing peanuts. fish. and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly. woodworking. metalworking; clothing industrial production growth rate: na electricity - production: 140 million kwh (2003) electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) electricity - consumption: 130.2 million kwh (2003) electricity - exports: 0 kwh (2003) electricity - imports: 0 kwh (2003) oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.) oil - consumption: 2.000 bbl/day (2003 est.) oil - exports: na (2001) oil - imports: na (2001) current account balance: $-20.54 million (2005 est.) exports: $140.3 million f.o.b. (2005 est.) exports - partners: india 23.7%. uk 15.2%. france 14.2%. germany 9.6%. italy 8.3%. thailand 5.9%. malaysia 4.1% (2004) imports: $197 million f.o.b. (2005 est.) imports - partners: china 23.7%. senegal 11.6%. brazil 5.9%. uk 5.5%. netherlands 4.5%. us 4.4% (2004) reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $81.55 million (2005 est.) debt - external: $628.8 million (2003 est.) economic aid - recipient: $59.8 million (2003) currency (code): dalasi (gmd) currency code: gmd exchange rates: dalasi per us dollar - na (2005). 32.3 (2004). 27.306 (2004). 27.306 (2003). 19.918 (2002). 15.687 (2001) fiscal year: calendar year telephones - main lines in use: 38.400 (2002) telephones - mobile cellular: 100.000 (2002) telephone system: general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to senegal and guinea-bissau; satellite earth station - 1 intelsat (atlantic ocean) radio broadcast stations: am 3. fm 2. shortwave 0 (2001) radios: 196.000 (1997) television broadcast stations: 1 (government-owned) (1997) televisions: 5.000 (2000) internet country code: .gm internet hosts: 568 (2004) internet service providers (isps): 2 (2001) internet users: 25.000 (2002) airports: 1 (2004 est.) airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3.047 m: 1 (2005 est.) roadways: total: 3.742 km paved: 723 km unpaved: 3.019 km (2003) waterways: 390 km (on river gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2004) merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1.000 grt or over) 30.976 grt/10.978 dwt by type: passenger/cargo 3. petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (switzerland 1) (2005) ports and terminals: banjul military branches: gambian national army (gna). gambian navy (gn). presidential guard. national guard military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001) manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 309.279 (2005 est.) manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 188.117 (2005 est.) military expenditures - dollar figure: $1 million (2004) military expenditures - percent of gdp: 0.3% (2004) disputes - international: attempts to stem refugees. cross-border raids. arms smuggling. and other illegal activities by separatists from southern senegal's casamance region as well as from conflicts in other west african states
|
||
|
|
||