The Gambia is a small West African country surrounded on all sides except towards the sea by Senegal. It extends about 300 miles inland but is never more than 50 miles wide. The country is dominated by the great Gambia River which extends the length of the country and is navigable by ocean going ships for about 150 miles. The country has a land area of about 4,127 square miles and is mainly flat. The area of the country not near the river is arid and sandy - almost part of the Sahara Desert.

The Capital Banjul is really an island at the mouth of the River and the main town Serrekunda is a few miles away and is close to the schools we visited. The international airport at Yundum is close to the main towns and mainly serves tourism.

There are several tribes in The Gambia (perhaps 15) but the main ones are Mandinka and Wolof which have their own languages.

The Gambian Flag

We understood that the red area represents the Sun, the white areas represent Peace, the blue area represents the river and the green area represents the jungle.