GAMBIA
 

Geography and Landscape

Geography

The Gambia (officially: Republic of The Gambia) is located on the westernmost tip of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia, with an area of 11,295 km², is the smallest country on the African mainland.

Satellite photo Gambia_{Photo: NASA in the public domain}

The Gambia measures approximately 320 km from east to west. The width varies from 20 to 50 km from north to south. The Gambia is enclosed on three sides by Senegal.

Landscape

The landscape is slightly sloping with some hills. The highest point is about 40 meters. The easily navigable river Gambia runs right through the country.

The Gambia River carries water all year round. There are many sandy beaches along the coast. The delta of the Gambia River is quite swampy with mangrove vegetation. The north of The Gambia has a parkland savanna landscape with long grasses, large shrubs and some trees. South of the Gambia River begins the forest savanna, grassland with groups of trees.

Gambia River east of Georgetown, Gambia_{Photo: Mathiasv, CC 3.0 Unported no changes made}

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Sources

Derksen, G. / Gambia, Senegal
Gottmer

Hesseling, G. / Senegal/Gambia : mensen, politiek, economie, cultuur
Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen

Waard, P. de / Reishandboek Gambia
Elmar

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated October 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info