Upper River Division – Basse Santa Su and the upper Gambia River
Upper River was one of the five divisions of the Gambia, stretching along the upper course of the Gambia River at the eastern end of the country. Its capital, Basse Santa Su, grew into the main trading town of the area, where river traffic, farming villages and regional markets came together.
The division was later reorganised as the Basse Local Government Area, while keeping exactly the same territory. The 2013 census counted almost 240,000 inhabitants, and life here is still closely tied to the river, to agriculture and to the rhythm of the weekly markets.
Do you know old stories about Basse, the river or your village? Share them with the community and help keep the memory of Upper River alive.