The Gambia The Gambia The Gambia (), officially the Republic of the Gambia, is a country in West Africa that is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal with the exception of its western coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the smallest country within mainland Africa. The Gambia is situated on either side of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the centre of the Gambia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is with a population of 1,857,181 as of the April 2013 census. Banjul is the Gambian capital and the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama. The Gambia
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