West Coast Division (Gambia) births. The poverty gap ratio was 22.4 per cent and literacy rate was 69.7 per cent as of 2003. The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa and the width of the strip-like structure never exceeds . It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and otherwise surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia River flows throughout the country and is the principal source of water and a transport route. The banks of the river have swampy beaches, while it has alluvial soil in all other parts, which is conducive for the growth of rice. Peanuts are the major cash
Wildlife of the Gambia soils of laterite formations. The local tree species include silk cotton "(Bombax costatum)", dry-zone mahogany "(Khaya Senagalensis)" in deeper soil areas and African rosewood "(Guibourtia coleosperma)". Short grasses and shrubs are seen thinly spread in the Sahelian habitats. The gallery forests (moisture forests), unlike the rainforest, thrive on groundwater and are integral to savannas. It is a rare habitat found only in Abuko Nature Reserve, Pirang Forest Park and in some stretches of the Gambia River with different set of species with some degree of overlap with rainforests. Urban habitat consists of numerous villages. The open areas in between have