Postage stamps and postal history of the Gambia Postage stamps and postal history of the Gambia This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Gambia. The Gambia is a country in West Africa surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Gambia River, from which the country takes its name, flows through it. The capital city is Banjul. The first stamps of Gambia were issued in March 1869. The early issues featured an embossed portrait of Queen Victoria. The Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. On 24
The Gambia Department of State, the "Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World" and the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use, the Gambia is one of only two countries whose self-standing short name for official use should begin with the word "The" (the other one being The Bahamas). Upon independence in 1965, the country used the name "The Gambia". Following the proclamation of a republic in 1970, the long-form name of the country became "Republic of The Gambia". The administration of Yahya Jammeh changed the long-form name to "Islamic Republic of The Gambia" in December 2015. On 29 January 2017