The Gambia is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 2.82 million people (2025) and an area of 11,300 square kilometres. Its capital is Banjul, and its only land neighbour is Senegal.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of the GambiaThe Gambia in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of the Gambia's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
A country shaped entirely by a river
The Gambia is a narrow strip of land, rarely more than 50 kilometers wide, following the Gambia River 450 kilometers inland from the Atlantic coast. Senegal surrounds it on three sides. The country exists in this form because the British controlled the river while the French controlled the territory around it. Deep navigability gave the river commercial value to European traders, and it still defines the country's geography, economy, and transport.
More on Gambia River
The river rises in the Fouta Djallon highlands of Guinea and flows west through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic. Ocean-going vessels can reach about 240 kilometers upstream, which is why the British negotiated a colony drawn around the channel rather than the land around it.
4 more lenses on the Gambia in the app
STORY A tiny nation that ousted a dictator without a war
NOW Tourism, peanuts, and the challenge of being tiny
STORY Roots and the memory of the slave trade
THREAD Enclosed by Senegal, connected to the world through diaspora
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of the Gambia?
The capital of the Gambia is Banjul. Banjul lies at about 13.5 degrees north and 16.6 degrees west. The Gambia is in Africa, in the region often called West Africa. It is home to about 2.82 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of the Gambia?
About 2.82 million people live in the Gambia, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 139th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 11,300 square kilometres, that is about 250 people per square kilometre.
What countries border the Gambia?
The Gambia shares land borders with 1 country: Senegal. The map on this page outlines each of them around the Gambia. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is the Gambia?
The Gambia covers 11,300 square kilometres, or about 4,363 square miles. That makes it the 159th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 2.82 million gives a density of 250 people per square kilometre.
The Gambia is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 2.82 million people (2025) and an area of 11,300 square kilometres. Its capital is Banjul, and its only land neighbour is Senegal.
Capital
Banjul
Continent
Africa
Region
West Africa
Population
2,822,093 2025, World Bank. 139th of 195.
Area
11,300 km² (4,363 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 159th largest of 195.
Population density
250 people per km²
Land neighbours
1: Senegal
Official name
Republic of the Gambia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A country shaped entirely by a river
The Gambia is a narrow strip of land, rarely more than 50 kilometers wide, following the Gambia River 450 kilometers inland from the Atlantic coast. Senegal surrounds it on three sides. The country exists in this form because the British controlled the river while the French controlled the territory around it. Deep navigability gave the river commercial value to European traders, and it still defines the country's geography, economy, and transport.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/gambia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Gambia
NameDate
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Colour the Gambia on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/gambia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
