The Gambia is a small sub-tropical country in West Africa, with a land area of 10 689 square
kilometres, consisting of a narrow strip of land on both sides of the Gambia River, some 400
kilometres long and, on average, about 30 kilometres wide (see Map in Annex I. It is bordered on
three sides by Senegal and in the West by the Atlantic Ocean. The Population of The Gambia is now
estimated from the 2003 National Population and Housing Census to be 1,364,507, with density of 128
persons per square kilometre, making it one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. At
2.8% per annum, the population growth rate is relatively high and almost 40% of the population is
concentrated in the urban areas around Banjul, the island capital city.