The Gambia – river trade, colonial rule and a small nation's path
The land along the River Gambia has long been a crossroads of West African peoples, among them Mandinka, Fula, Wolof and Jola. Its famous Senegambian stone circles are a reminder of early societies, and in the Middle Ages the region lay within the sphere of influence of the great Sahelian empires such as Mali.
In the fifteenth century Portuguese navigators sailed up the river, followed by the British and French. Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly James Island, became a centre of the transatlantic slave trade and is today a World Heritage Site recalling its victims. In 1816 the British founded Bathurst, today's Banjul, and gradually established a colony and protectorate along the river, surrounded by French-ruled Senegal.
The Gambia became independent in 1965 and a republic in 1970 under President Dawda Jawara. From 1982 to 1989 it formed the Senegambia Confederation with Senegal. A military coup in 1994 brought Yahya Jammeh to power, who ruled for over two decades. After his defeat in the 2016 election, power passed to Adama Barrow in 2017.
Today The Gambia is shaped by its river, its diverse ethnic traditions, farming and tourism, and close ties with neighbouring Senegal.
Do you have memories or family stories from The Gambia? Share them with other members in our Local History section!