Music of the Gambia for an international competition to produce an anthem (and flag) before independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, is an independent coastal state along the River Gambia. It gained its separate identity as a colony of the United Kingdom while Senegal was a colony of France, but the two countries' traditional music are very much intertwined. Among Gambia's people, who together number some 1.728 million (2010), 42% are Mandinka, 18% Fula, 16% Wolof\Serer, 10% Jola and 9% Soninke, the remainder being 4% other African and 1% non-African (2003). 63% of Gambians live
Women in the military by country women an equitable share of the leadership positions in the military. In 2011 almost 26.6% of the uniformed services of the South African National Defence Force consisted of women. Military of the Gambia have no gender conscription and women are free to volunteer for the armed forces. In 2011 the first female army general was decorated in the Gambia. Mandatory Military Service is required for all Tunisian women since March 2003. Tunisia is the first Arab country to conscript women. All roles in the Australian Defence Force are open to women. The first women became involved with the Australian armed