Gambia, The, officially Republic of The Gambia, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,593,000), 4,361 sq mi (11,295 sq km), W Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and surrounded on th...

, short-lived (1982–89) confederation of Senegal and The Gambia.

Banjul, formerly Bathurst, port city (1993 pop. 42,407), capital of The Gambia, situated on St. Mary's Island where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. It is the only large urban area ...

British West Africa, former inclusive term for the British colonies of Cameroons, Gambia, Gold Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togoland.

Jawara, Sir Dauda Kairaba, 1924–, president of Gambia (1970–94). A veterinarian, he became active in politics in 1960 and leader of the People's Progressive party. Entering government as minis...

Casamance, river, c.200 mi (320 km) long, W Africa. It rises in S Senegal and flows westward, emptying in the Atlantic Ocean. The virtually unnavigable river lies in a region of lush floodplai...

Park, Mungo, 1771–1806, British explorer in Africa, b. Selkirk, Scotland. After serving as a surgeon with the East India Company, he was employed by the African Association to explore the cour...

Wolof, black African ethnic group numbering over 3 million, along the Atlantic coast of W Africa; most live in Senegal, but there is a significant minority in Gambia. Traditional Wolof society...

Fouta Djallon or Futa Jallon, highland region, c.30,000 sq mi (77,700 sq km), central Guinea, W Africa. Largely a rolling grassland (average alt. c.3,000 ft/910 m), the region is grazed by cat...

Cadamosto, Luigi da, 1432?–1488, Venetian navigator in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal. He seems to have entered Portuguese service in 1454, and he left a record of a voy...