Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa.
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Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa.
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In 1765, the Gambia was made a part of the British Empire by establishment of the Gambia.
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In 1965, the Gambia gained independence under the leadership of Dawda Jawara, who ruled until Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless 1994 coup.
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Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially, tourism.
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Gambia is one of a very small number of countries for which the definite article is commonly used in its English-language name, other than cases in which the name is plural or includes the form of government (the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic).
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The Gambia became a British Crown colony called British Gambia, divided for administrative purposes into the colony and the protectorate (remainder of the territory).
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The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901, and it gradually progressed toward self-government.
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Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth, with Elizabeth II as Queen of the Gambia, represented by the Governor-General.
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On 24 April 1970, the Gambia became a republic within the Commonwealth, following a second referendum.
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In late 2001 and early 2002, the Gambia completed a full cycle of presidential, legislative, and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent.
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Gambia's announcement justified that the Gambia was breaking its colonial past and he proclaimed Islam to be majority of its citizens.
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The Gambia sentenced main opposition leader and human rights advocate Ousainou Darboe to 3 years in prison in July 2016, disqualifying him from running in the presidential election.
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On 14 February 2017, the Gambia began the process of returning to its membership of the Commonwealth and formally presented its application to re-join to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018.
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Gambia is a very small and narrow country whose borders mirror the meandering Gambia River.
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In comparative terms, the Gambia has a total area slightly less than that of the island of Jamaica.
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Gambia contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, West Sudanian savanna, and Guinean mangroves.
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Gambia ruled in an authoritarian style until the 2016 election, which was won by Adama Barrow, backed by a coalition of opposition parties.
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Gambia can appoint five members of the National Assembly, the judges of the superior courts, regional governors, and district chiefs.
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Gambia followed a formal policy of non-alignment throughout most of former President Jawara's tenure.
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Under Yahya Jammeh The Gambia was backing up rebels of MFDC in Casamance in southern Senegal.
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Gambia withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations on 3 October 2013, with the government stating it had "decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism".
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Under the new president, the Gambia began the process of returning to its status as a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations with the support of the British government, formally presenting its application to re-join the Commonwealth of Nations to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018.
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Gambia returned to its status as a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations on 8 February 2018.
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Between 1958 and 1985, the Gambia did not have a military, but the Gambia Field Force existed as a paramilitary wing of the police.
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The military tradition of the Gambia can be traced to the Gambia Regiment of the British Army, that existed from 1901 to 1958 and fought in World War I and World War II.
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In 2017, Gambia signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
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Gambia is divided into eight local government areas, including the national capital, Banjul, which is classified as a city.
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The divisions of the Gambia were created by the Independent Electoral Commission in accordance to Article 192 of the National Constitution.
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Gambia has a liberal, market-based economy characterised by traditional subsistence agriculture, a historic reliance on groundnuts for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry.
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English is the official language of the Gambia and is thus used for official purposes and education.
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Virtually all commercial life in the Gambia comes to a standstill during major Muslim holidays, which include Eid al-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr.
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Cuisine of the Gambia includes peanuts, rice, fish, meat, onions, tomatoes, cassava, chili peppers and oysters from the River Gambia.
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The GFA runs league football in the Gambia, including top division GFA League First Division, as well as the Gambia national football team.
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The Gambia won two CAF U-17 championships one in 2005 when the country hosted, and 2009 in Algeria automatically qualifying for FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru and Nigeria (2009) respectively.
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