ABSTRACT
The Republic of The Gambia is a small West African country surrounded by Senegal on all sides except along its short coast. Referred to as the “smiling coast of Africa,” The Gambia’s long and winding shape was determined by British and French territory divisions established in the 19th century and follows the outline of the Gambia River. The majority of its more than 2.2 million person population is Muslim. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, with about 57 percent of The Gambia’s population concentrated in urban and peri-urban centers. The most commonly spoken language is English, in addition to several local languages representative of a variety of Gambian ethnic groups.
