Banjul is also its country’s major port located on a short coastline strip overlooking the confluence of the River Gamble and North Atlantic Ocean.
The Gambia exported US$94 million worth of products around the globe in 2016. Highest-value Gambian exports include woven fabrics made from artificial filament yarn, cashew nuts and wood chips or wood particles according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Banjul, The Gambia: Quick Reference
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
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: 580,000 (Banjul)
Density: 21,481 people per square mile (8,294 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,009,648 (The Gambia)
Density: 514 people per square mile (199 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$3.387 billion in 2016 (for The Gambia, per CIA World Factbook)
GDP per person: $1,700
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
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on January 13, 2017
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Gambia Tourism Board, The Smiling Coast of Africa. Accessed on January 13, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 31, 2017
The World Factbook, Africa: The Gambia, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Banjul. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Wikipedia, Mandinka people. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Wikipedia, The Gambia. Accessed on January 13, 2017
Including city limits plus nearby communities, Banjul’s built-up urban land area measures 27 square miles (70 square kilometers) with an estimated population of 580,000 in 2015.
The Gambia is Mainland Africa’s tiniest country in terms of land area, covering 3,907 square miles (10,120 square kilometers). The West African nation’s population count was two million residents as of July 2016.
Population density is higher within The Gambia’s capital city Banjul with an average 21,500 inhabitants per square mile (8,300 per square kilometer).
At the country level, population density dilutes to an average 514 people per square mile (199 per square kilometer) for The Gambia overall.
Free from the United Kingdom’s governance since February 18, 1965, Gambians celebrate Independence Day each February 18 as a national holiday.