The Gambia: Introduction

The Gambia is the smallest country in the continent of Africa. It is located in Western Africa completely surrounded by Senegal and borders the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. The Gambia has a mixed economic system with a heavy reliance on agriculture, combined with relatively weak centralized economic planning and government regulation. The Gambia is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).