Gambia, The Demographics

What is the population of Gambia, The?

Population	2,173,999
Population Growth Rate	2.29%
Urban Population	57.3%
Population in Major Urban Areas	BANJUL (capital) 506,000
Nationality Noun	Gambian(s)
Nationality Adjective	Gambian
Ethnic Groups	African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%
Languages Spoken	English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Gambia, The Health Information

What are the health conditions in Gambia, The?

Animal Contact Disease (s)	rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49	13.3%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	7.38
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved	84.4%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved	9.9%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved	94.2%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s)	bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP	4.4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	2%
HIV/Aids Deaths	500
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population	1.1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births	61.94
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births	73.15
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births	67.63
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk	very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births	360
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	7.9%
People Living with HIV/AIDS	18,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population	.11
Respiratory disease (s)	meningococcal meningitis
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved	39.8%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved	64%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved	55%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman	3.98
Underweight - percent of children under five years	15.8%
Vectorborne Disease (s)	malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease (s)	schistosomiasis

Gambia, The Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Gambia, The?

Life Expectancy at Birth	56 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female	66 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male	61 Years
Median Age	19 Years
Median Age - female	20 Years
Median Age - male	19 Years

Gambia, The Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Gambia, The median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population	33
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	7.38
Median Age	19 Years
Median Age - female	20 Years
Median Age - male	19 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population	-2.34
Population Growth Rate	2.29%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female	.98
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female	.96
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female	.98
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female	1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female	.98
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female	.9

Gambia, The Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Gambia, The?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in The Gambia are very limited, some treatments are unavailable, and emergency services can be unpredictable and unreliable. Travelers should carry their own supplies of prescription as well as over-the-counter medicines or treatments.

You can find good information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the CDC website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

Malaria is a serious risk to travelers in The Gambia. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in The Gambia (and for up to one year after returning home) should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history, as well as what anti-malarial medications they have been taking.

Gambia, The Education

What is school like in Gambia, The?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP	4.1%
Literacy - female	32.8%
Literacy - male	47.8%
Literacy - total population	40.1%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)	9 Years

Gambia, The Literacy

Can people in Gambia, The read?

Literacy - female	32.8%
Literacy - male	47.8%
Literacy - total population	40.1%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language	English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Gambia, The Crime

Is Gambia, The a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Petty street crime is a problem in The Gambia. Travelers should be careful of pickpockets in crowded market areas and on ferries. Packages or luggage should never be left unattended, especially in taxis. U.S. citizens in The Gambia should be careful not to leave valuables or identity documents unsecured in hotel rooms or cars. Travelers should also be cautious of individuals who persistently offer unsolicited help.

Visitors and resident U.S. citizens may wish to leave their windows up and doors locked while driving due to several reported automobile burglaries, including theft from occupied cars stopped in traffic with windows open or doors unlocked. Long-term residents may wish to consider hiring security guards for their home to deter burglary and theft.

Women should avoid walking alone, especially after dark, including in beach and tourist areas. In addition, female visitors to The Gambia should be particularly cautious of men locally known as “bumsters,” who approach females wishing “just to get to know you,” or offering to be tour guides. Bumsters often use romance in hopes of gaining money and other assistance, or in the hope of departing The Gambia through marriage to a Westerner. Travelers are advised to be polite but decisive in turning down unwanted help or attempts at conversation.

Business fraud, long associated with other parts of West Africa, has also been reported in The Gambia. The U.S. embassy has received reports of several scams in which U.S. businesses sent, but did not receive, payment for shipments. U.S. citizens should be very suspicious of any unsolicited offers to participate in lucrative business opportunities, especially if they require financial disclosures, money transfers, large up-front investments, or promises of confidentiality. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of fraud is common sense – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. You should be suspicious of any unsolicited business proposal originating in The Gambia. Carefully scrutinize all proposals before you commit any funds, provide any goods or services, or undertake any travel. For additional information, please see the Department of State’s information on International Financial Scams.

The U.S. Embassy is frequently contacted by victims of romantic Internet scams and health-related plea-for-help scams perpetrated in The Gambia. Generally, a U.S. citizen befriends someone or gets engaged to someone over the Internet. This person, who can claim to be a U.S. citizen or a Gambian citizen, eventually requests financial assistance from the U.S. citizen to help pay for urgent medical treatment, to tide him or her over after a recent robbery, or to pay some form of alleged exit tax or government fine. In the vast majority of cases, the person with whom the U.S. citizen has been corresponding is using a fake identity and is in no need of assistance. In general, U.S. citizens are advised not to send money to anyone they have not met in person. For more information on this type of scam, please refer to the State Department brochure on International Financial Scams, specifically the section on Internet Dating and Romance Scams.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, you may be breaking local law too.

Gambia, The Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in The Gambia, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States; for instance, you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children, or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country, is a crime and is prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in The Gambia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It is very important to know what is legal and what is not wherever you are traveling.

If you are arrested in The Gambia, Gambian authorities are required to notify the U.S. Embassy of your arrest. If you are concerned that the Department of State may not be aware of your situation, you should request the police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy of your arrest.

Gambia, The Population Comparison

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