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
Economy of the Gambia were taken during the slave trade. The tourist season is the dry season, during the Northern Hemisphere winter. In FY 1999, the UK and other EU countries were the Gambia's major domestic export markets, accounting for 86% of all exports. This was followed by Asia at 14% of exports, and the African at 8% of exports. The U.K. and the other EU countries - namely, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Belgium - were the major source of imports, accounting for 60% of the total share of imports, followed by Asia at 23%, and African countries at 17%. The Gambia re-exports 11%