The Gambia,officially the Republic of The Gambia,is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland Africa and is surrounded by Senegal,except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is situated on both sides of the lower reaches of the Gambia River,the nation's namesake,which flows through the centre of the Gambia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean,and elucidates the long shape of the country. It has an area of 11,300 square kilometres (4,400 sq mi) with a population of 1,857,181 as of the April 2013 census. Banjul is the Gambian capital and the country's largest metropolitan area,while the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama.
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017,firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 to 1996 and then as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017.
Ousainou Darboe is a Gambian politician and lawyer who serves as the National Assembly Minority Leader since April 2022. He previously served as Vice-President of the Gambia and Minister of Women's Affairs from June 2018 to March 2019,under President Adama Barrow. He also served as Barrow's Minister of Foreign Affairs from February 2017 to June 2018.
Lamin Kaba Bajo is a former Gambian politician and diplomat who is the current president of the Gambia Football Federation,having been elected in September 2014.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the Gambia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal for both males and females in the Gambia. Criminalisation commenced under the colonial rule of the British. The 1933 Criminal Code provides penalties of prison terms of up to fourteen years. In 2014,the country amended its code to impose even harsher penalties of life imprisonment for "aggravated" cases. While the United States Department of State reports that the laws against homosexual activity are not "actively enforced",arrests have occurred;the NGO Human Rights Watch,reports regular organised actions by law enforcement against persons suspected of homosexuality and gender non-conformity.
Mambury Njie is a Gambian politician and the current Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs in Adama Barrow's cabinet.
Adama Barrow is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of the Gambia since 2017.
The Gambian constitutional crisis occurred following presidential elections in December 2016,in which challenger Adama Barrow achieved an upset victory over longtime incumbent Yahya Jammeh. It eventually concluded after a military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led to Jammeh’s departure from the country.
The ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia or the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia –initially code-named Operation Restore Democracy –is an ongoing military intervention in The Gambia by several member states of the Economic Community of West African States.
Teneng Mba Jaiteh is a Gambian politician who serves as Gambia's ambassador to the European Union as well as 7 of its member states.
Masaneh Nyuku Kinteh is a retired Gambian Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff until his removal on 5 March 2020 by President Adama Barrow. He was the Gambian Chief of Mission in Havana,Cuba,from 2012 to 2017,and was previously Chief of the Defence Staff from 2009 to 2012. He was retired with the rank of lieutenant general in 2012,having previously also served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in 2009,and shifted to the Foreign Service. He was reinstated as the Chief of Defence Staff in 2017 but redeployed him to the Foreign Service in 2020,becoming the ambassador to China.
Sheikh Omar Faye is the Gambian ambassador to Mauritania. Prior to this position,he was Gambian Minister of Defence,as well as a former diplomat who served as the Gambian Ambassador to the United States from 2015 to 2016,and an athlete who represented the Gambia in the 1984 Olympic games.
Following his victory in the presidential election on 1 December 2016,the newly elected President Adama Barrow appointed a new cabinet to succeed the cabinet of Yahya Jammeh,his predecessor. Barrow was formally inaugurated on 19 January 2017 at the embassy of the Gambia in Dakar,Senegal,and was able to return the Gambia on 26 January. He made the bulk of appointments in February 2017,and conducted a major reshuffle in June 2018.
Omar Amadou Jallow is a Gambian politician who was the Minister of Agriculture in President Adama Barrow's cabinet. Jallow is also the leader of the People's Progressive Party,which has two seats in the National Assembly.
Mariam Jack-Denton,also known as Ajaratou Mariam Denton,is a Gambian lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia from April 2017 to April 2022.
Marie Saine-Firdaus is a Gambian lawyer and politician.
Mamadou Tangara is a Gambian diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2018,having previously served in 2012 and from 2010–2012. Tangara also served as Gambian Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2017–2018 and from 2013–2016.
Capital punishment remains a legal penalty for multiple crimes in The Gambia. However,the country has taken recent steps towards abolishing the death penalty.
The First Lady of the Gambia is the official title of the wife of the President or Head of State of The Gambia. Since January 19,2017,Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow has been First Lady.
