Gambia Armed Forces defence and security in The Gambia was the responsibility of the Field Force. The Field Force was a paramilitary unit of the police, consisting of roughly 140 men at independence and rising to around 500 in 1980. It has been formed in 1958 following the disbandment of the Gambia Regiment, part of the British Army. There was little concern about security in The Gambia due to its small size and the safety provided by being totally surrounded by Senegal, with which it had signed a mutual defence pact in 1965. This lax attitude to defence changed following the 1981 coup
Wildlife of the Gambia angolensis)", crakes, greater painted snipe "(Rostratula benghalensis)" and African jacana (Actophilornis africanus). Butterfly faunal distribution in the Gambia is dictated by the boundary of two major biomes of Sahelian and Guinean Savanna species; it is distinctly different between the rainy season and dry season. The vegetation of the Gambia is mostly savanna in the upland areas, inland swamp in the low-lying areas, and mangrove swamp along the banks of the lower Gambia River. The country is almost devoid of true forest cover, the most forested area being the Bijo Forest. Nonetheless it is biologically rich, with an estimated 11,600 plant