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THE GAMBIA

Country Profile: The Republic of The Gambia is named after one of Africa's most navigable rivers, the Gambia and is located in West Africa. The Gambia is roughly twice the size of the state of Delaware in the United States and occupies a narrow area on either side of the Gambia River, forming an enclave in Senegal surrounded on its north, east and south borders by Senegal. A former British colony, the Republic of The Gambia became independent on February 18, 1965. In 1994, The Gambia began a transformation from military to civilian rule and liberalized its economy. The President of The Gambia, H.E. Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh has instituted a Vision 2020 Plan "The Gambia Incorporated" with the aim of transforming the smallest country in Africa into a middle income country by offering a stable investment environment, efficient banking sector, and competitive private sector.

The Gambia is known for its beautiful beaches and warm coastal waters which are a haven for tourists with a tropical climate that is relatively hot and humid throughout the year. The main ethnic groups are the Mande, including the rural Mandinka, and the Atlantic peoples including the Wolof and Fulani. English is the official language but Wolof and Fulani are spoken in the towns and Mandinka in the rural areas. The population of The Gambia is approximately 1.5 million inhabitants with about 85% of the population that are Muslim and a sizable Christian minority. The capital of The Gambia is Banjul, with about 300,000 inhabitants, is also the main port and main commercial center along the River Gambia. The people of The Gambia live harmoniously in mixed communities, freely exercising their religious and cultural traditions. Gambians are also widely recognized for their genuine friendliness and hospitality.

The main resources of foreign exchange are agriculture and tourism with agriculture accounting for 23% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 75% of the workforce. Groundnuts, covering 60% of The Gambia's arable land are the main export crop. The Gambia also has had considerable success in developing and promoting its tourist industry, which contributes about 16% of GDP. In 2000, approximately 100,000 tourists visited The Gambia which earned the country an estimated $35 million and provided an estimated 10,000 Gambians with stable employment in this sector. Perhaps most Americans know about The Gambia as a result of Alex Haley's bestseller and epic television docudrama "Roots" which focused on Kunta Kinte and his ancestral homeland of Juffureh. The Gambia also has tremendous potential in the fishing industry which has yet to be fully developed as well as a small manufacturing industry with plastic goods and confectionaries as the main products. The Gambia is also an important entry point for goods that are distributed to its neighboring countries in West Africa and has specifically targeted itself as the most logical "gateway" into West Africa for the trans-shipment (re-export market) of imports and exports. To learn more about The Gambia please check out www.visitthegambia.

World Heritage Committee Inscribes 24 New Sites on the World Heritage List New sites include, for the first time, sites in Gambia 

The inscriptions were carried out by the World Heritage Committee, which has been holding its 27th session, under the chair of Vera Lacoeuilhe (Sainte-Lucie) at UNESCO Headquarters since June 30. The World Heritage List now numbers 754 sites, including 149 natural, and 582 cultural and 23 mixed sites "of outstanding universal value." The new natural sites include:

Gambia: James Island and Related Sites
James Island and Related Sites present a testimony to the main periods and facets of the encounter between Africa and Europe along the River Gambia, a continuum that stretched from pre-colonial and pre-slavery times to independence. The site is particularly significant for its relation to the beginning and the abolition of the slave trade. It also documents early access to the interior of Africa.

ATA FLASH BACK ITEM
TOURISM-RELATED TRADE AND INVESTMENT MISSION TO THE GAMBIA

by David J. Saunders
Washington, D.C: Venue International Professionals, Inc. (VIP) coordinated a Tourism-Related Trade and Investment Mission to The Gambia in the spring of 2004. The purpose of this event will be to investigate the immense potential for investment opportunities in the travel and tourism industry of The Gambia. VIP was inspired to conduct this mission based on the open invitation of the President of The Gambia, H.E. Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh, to have "African-American business persons visit The Gambia and consider valued partnerships in the tourism sector for the socio-economic benefit of the Gambian people". There are excellent advantages to investing in The Gambia to include the following: (a) stable, peaceful and English-speaking environment with hassle free procedures for investment approval processes; (b) liberal and free market economy without any ownership restrictions or foreign exchange controls; (c) foreign currency denominated account to ease international trade; (d) efficient seaport and airport services and excellent telecommunications facilities; (e) easy access to decision-makers; (f) attractive incentive packages for potential investors; (g) very attractive labor cost; and (h) short distance from U.S. markets for Americans interested in doing business on the African continent.
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