The Gambia less than wide at its widest point, with a total area of . About (11.5%) of the Gambia's area are covered by water. It is the smallest country on the African mainland. In comparative terms, the Gambia has a total area slightly less than that of the island of Jamaica. Senegal surrounds the Gambia on three sides, with of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean marking its western extremity. The present boundaries were defined in 1889 after an agreement between the United Kingdom and France. During the negotiations between the French and the British in Paris, the French initially gave the
The Gambia in World War II the Gambia, having been appointed to the role in October 1936. In March 1942, Hilary Blood was appointed as Governor and continued to serve until March 1947. In 1940, the British passed the Colonial Development and Welfare Act 1940, which provided funding to research efforts in the colonies. In July 1941, a commission of inquiry was launched to investigate the wages of manual labourers in the Gambia. It was decided that a minimum wage for workers in Bathurst should be set. Also, during the war, a full income tax was established in the Gambia along with other West African British