The Country
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. It formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. Soon afterwards - In 1994, the former President of Gambia, Sir Jawara was overthrown. A 1996 constitution and presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early 2002. Yaya A. J. J. JAMMEH was elected president in all subsequent elections. Three mandates in all. He was sworn in on the 15 th of December, 2006 for his third consecutive tenure in office in a transparent landslide election victory that left the opposition hanging on blank sheets.
The Gambia is the smallest Independent African state, but its attractions often attract superlatives much more than the bigger sister countries in the region. Its capital city, Banjul , even with its aggressive albeit picturesque colonial era reminders, is a unique African experience, with a street side culture that is different from cities tourists are used to. Constituting also, part of the undeniable attraction that keeps them coming back.
And for an even more 'traditional' outlook, a quick trip upriver brings you into the Gambian heartland, where the colourful buzz of weekly markets vie with boat trips through mangrove creeks and bike jaunts to mud-hut villages for your attention.
Although Gambia is largely defined by its natural features - from the Gambia River , which runs the length of the country, to the golden beaches of its Atlantic coast resorts - the country's greatest draw lies in its people, their culture and the friendly atmosphere of daily life. Whether you're making conversation at a coffee stall or walking to one of the local places, you're sure to come away with a warm feeling for Gambians because of how infectious their smiles and good cheer could be. Show of familiarity from a total stranger could be a complete turn off and usually gets anyone on their guard, but Gambians have so perfected the art that they put you at ease in micro seconds and get you smiling back and feeling good in no time. If you are from Europe or the western world where friendship and smiles are courted with much harder work, you would be overwhelmed with surprise… and then pleasantly happy at the attention and such a huge deviation from ‘your' norm!
Agreed, it could also be a turn off when you are so totally unprepared for it…or when the total stranger tries a bit harder than necessary to get your attention. In such situations, bazookaHOLIDAY has a simple advice; turn around and look the person straight in the eyes and tell him/her to leave you alone. It does the trick 99 out of 100 times. But believe it or not, any visitor to the Gambia who refuses some measure of socializing with the locals would've lost more than 50% of the holiday's value. It's much more fun to return those smiles and learn in the process one or two more authentic things you wouldn't have found in any fancy tour-operator-brochures. It's the smiling coast , right? ;-))
The Gambia 's national anthem is linked to any of the two fluttering Gambia National Flags on bazookaHOLIDAY.
Click on any to listen to the anthem!
To know more about the nature click the following button:--
Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the mid 15th century, there was no written history of West Africa . The historians were known as Griots who told the story their way. They relied mostly on memory to recite history of families, clans or tribes. Hannon the Carthaginean had referred to the Gambia while writing about his voyage to West Africa in 470B.C. The river Gambia was known to the Carthaginean sailors in the 5'th century B.C.
The Gambia belonged to kingdoms which included the kingdoms of Foni, Kombo, Sine-Saloum, Niani, Wulli, and Fulladou. Some people had migrated to that area from various parts of West Africa . They traded with people from other kingdoms in the same region of West Africa . Some of these kingdoms were very important, the most important were Ghana , Sohnghai and Mali Empires (between the Atlantic Ocean and the River Niger) Kanen-Bornu and the Hausa States were also important. The Ghana empire was the earliest of these empires. It was the most important empire between 300 and 1000 A.D
Islam In The Gambia:
The trade across the Sahara was carried out by Arab and Berber merchants from North West Africa . They were Muslims: they introduced their religion and Islamic culture into the places in West Africa where they traded. Muslim Berbers from Mauritania brought Islam to The Gambia and other areas south of Senegal . Many local Rulers and elders were converted and introduced Islamic ideas and laws to their people.
Where It All Started: Trade With Europeans By 1500 A.D., people in the area were also trading with Europeans. The first European to reach the River Gambia was Al Viso de Cadamosto, from Venice , Italy
The Portuguese: The first Europeans to trade with Africans along the Atlantic coastline were from Portugal . They began trading with the people of the Gambia by 1456. They bought cloth, beads, mirrors and liquor to sell. They exchanged these for gold dust, hides, ivory and slaves. They built trading stations along the estuary of the River Gambia and on the banks of the Bintang Creek.
The English: When the English traders heard about the Portuguese trade in Africa they wanted to participate. Their ships came to West Africa to buy gold and spices, but the Portuguese prevented them from coming to The Gambia. The English return to trade in the Gambia hundred years later at the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I(1558 - 1603).
The Latvians: - James Island
A Latvian, Duke of Courland, was interested in the trade along The river Gambia . In 1651 the Duchy gained its first colony in Africa, St. Andrews Island up The Gambia River and established a fort there. The main export goods were ivory, gold, furs, spices. Soon, 1652, another colony was established in Tobago Island , British West Indies . Courland is the southern most province of modern day Latvia .
The English captured the fort in 1661 and the island bacame known as Fort James or James Island , after James Duke of York . This island is located west of Dog island up the River Gambia. The company used this fort as a trading base, first for gold and ivory then for slaves like Kunta Kinteh portrayed in the book and movie "ROOTS" [Alex Harley] on the North bank of the river from Fort James is Jufureh . The governor of James island forced all foreign (non-English) ships entering the River Gambia to pay taxes on their goods. Ships that tried to evade the taxes were fired upon with canons.
In 1695 Fort James was taken by the French after a battle with the English sailors. It was returned in 1697 and then captured again in 1702.
The French:The French also built trade links with the West African coast. Sometime, their areas of trade overlapped and this led to conflicts. Fort James was seized as a result of a conflict brought about by the French. The French bought a trading station at Alberada on the North bank of the River next to Jufureh. They signed trading treaties with the chiefs of the district.
The Abolition Of Slave Trade In The Gambia 1807 - 1816. On the 25th March 1807, the Royal accent was given to a bill which prescribed that from January 1'st 1808 all manners of dealing and trading of Slaves in Africa or in their transportation from Africa to any other place was to be utterly abolished, prohibited and declared to be unlawful and enacted penalties for dealing in slaves. The act was promptly enforced by the British Navy as soon as it came into operation. The majority of British slavers found it impossible to escape the vigilance of British cruisers and endeavored for a few years to risk the possibility of capture, the increased penalties prescribed by an amending act of 1811 more or less effectively put an end to British speculation and malpractices in Slave Trade.
The River Gambia had been recognized by the peace of Versailles in 1783 as a British possession and the abolition Act of 1807 therefore made slave traffic on the river illegal and unlawful. At that point, the majority of the British merchants and settlers on the river were concerned and they accepted the decision from parliament and at once relinquished the traffic, but difficulties arose with foreign slavers visiting the river. So long as Great Britain and France were at war, the French traffic on the river was precarious due to the risk of capture at high seas, but as late as 1810 a French vessel managed to ship cargo of slaves at Sika near Albreda. The more extensive speculators in the traffic were however the Americans, Portugese and Spanish. Though the United States Government had passed an Act in 1807 which prohibited the further importation of slaves from abroad, a number of American citizens still continued to carry on the trade under Spanish colors. Such traders always ran the risk of capture by British cruisers near the "River's Mouth". The necessary limited number of ships patrolling the coast was insufficient to establish an effective blockade and foreign slavers were often known to elude the vigilance of the British and to carry their human cargoes safely across the Atlantic .
How The Gambia became a British colony:
The Gambia was part of a large British colony known as the Province of Senegambia which covered present day Senegal and The Gambia. It's capital was St. Louis on the River Senegal. It was the first British colony in Africa . In 1779 the French captured the Senegal part of the region and the British agreed to base their trade around Bathurst and Fort James instead. In 1821, The Gambia became a Colony attached to the British colony of Sierra Leone . In 1843, the parts of the Gambia ruled by Britain were again separated from Sierra Leone . The Gambia became a British Protectorate in 1888.
The national anthem of The Gambia:
For The Gambia Our Homeland is the national anthem of The Gambia, written by Virginia Julie Howe and composed by Jeremy Frederick Howe (based on the traditional Mandinka song Foday Kaba Dumbuya). It was adopted in 1965 upon independence
Lyrics:
For The Gambia, our homeland
We strive and work and pray,
That all may live in unity,
Freedom and peace each day.
Let justice guide our actions
Towards the common good,
And join our diverse peoples
To prove man's brotherhood.
We pledge our firm allegiance,
Our promise we renew;
Keep us, great God of nations,
To The Gambia ever true.