The capital’s name Banjul was derived from the native Mandinka term bang julo which refers to local fibers used to make rope.
Banjul is its country’s lone port located on a short coastline strip overlooking the confluence of the River Gamble and North Atlantic Ocean. Banjul is home to several fish landing and processing facilities.
The area south of Banjul known as the Tanbi Wetland Complex is one of Gambia’s internationally significant wetlands. Banjul’s 19th-century Albert Market is known for its frenzied haggling and bargain hunting.
Another popular tourist spot in Banjul is Arch 22, a famous landmark to commemorate the 1994 coup that put President Jammeh in power. At 114 feet (34.747 meters) high, Arch 22 is one of The Gambia’s tallest architectural structures.
Research website numbeo lacks sufficient data to rank Banjul on its comprehensive global quality of life rating which benchmarks 250 cities worldwide. Numbeo does assess its country The Gambia on several individual factors. For instance, the West African nation’s traffic commute time is the second slowest, while Gambia’s safety score ranks in the bottom 30%. Gambia also has moderate pollution levels (worst 36%). On the positive side, Gambia did relatively well for health care rating in the top 54%).
From an international trade perspective, the Gambia exported an estimated US$165.1 million worth of products around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include tropical roughwood (31.6% of Gambia’s global total), cashew nuts (19.4%), sawn or chipped tropical wood (8.9%), fish fats and oils (6.2%), crude groundnut oil (4.7%), miscellaneous frozen fish (3.1%), iron or steel scrap (2.7%), frozen cuttle fish and squid (2.2%), and sesame seeds (2.1%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Banjul, The Gambia: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Banjul, The Gambia.
- Sheikh Omar Faye, diplomat & former athlete (born Jan. 10, 1960)
- Crispin Grey-Johnson, secretary of state & ambassador (born Dec. 7, 1946)
- Julia Dolly Joiner, commissioner & permanent secretary (born Nov. 11, 1956)
- Fatou Tiyana, Olympic women’s sprinter (born Feb. 24, 1985)
- Alhaji Jeng, Olympic pole vaulter (born Dec. 13, 1981)
- Jabou Jawo, Olympic women’s sprinter (born Apr. 18, 1962)
- Oumar Fye, men’s sprinter (born Jan. 10, 1960)
- Cherno Samba, soccer/football player (born Nov. 10, 1985)
- Dawda Bah, soccer/football player (born Nov. 12, 1983)
- Abdou Rahman Dampha, soccer/football player (born Dec. 27, 1991)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a resident of Gambia: Gambian
Population: 450,689 (Banjul) at August 13, 2020
Density: 12,519 people per square mile (4,846 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,425,206 (The Gambia) at August 13, 2020
Density: 618 people per square mile (239 per square kilometer)
Median age for all The Gambia: 17.8 years old
Financial
GDP: US$6.448 billion in 2019 (The Gambia)
GDP per person: $2,745
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Banjul were unavailable.
Official currency used in Banjul: Gambian dalasi
Geography
Capital landmarks: Arch 22 monument (entrance portal to Banjul), Gambian National Museum, Albert Market, Roman Catholic Cathedral, Baitus Salam Mosque, Banjul State House and the African Heritage Museum
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Africa: The Gambia.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Gambia Tourism Board, The Smiling Coast of Africa.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Banjul.
Wikipedia, Mandinka people.
Wikipedia, The Gambia.
WorldOMeter, Gambia Population.
World Population Review, Banjul Population.
Free from the United Kingdom’s governance since February 18, 1965, Gambians celebrate Independence Day each February 18 as a national holiday.
Banjul’s built-up urban land area measures 36 square miles (93 square kilometers) home to an estimated population of 450,689 at August 13, 2020.
The Gambia’s land area covers a total 3,907 square miles (10,120 square kilometers). The West African nation’s population count was 2.4 million residents as of August 2020.
Population density is more concentrated within Banjul averaging 12,519 inhabitants per square mile (4,846 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to The Gambia’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 618 people per square mile (239 per square kilometer).
