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Economics and Politics in The Gambia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Tijan M. Sallah
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In this increasingly bloc-competitive world, small countries are generally overlooked. Unless, by dint of fortune, they have some strategic resource, or have leaders who are globally vocal and visible, or are able to link themselves to the fortunes of larger political units, they may very well stand to be economically disadvantaged. Located in the drought-prone Sudano-Sahelian region of West Africa, with a land area that spans only 4,361 square miles (11,295 sq km) and a population currently estimated at about 797,000, The Gambia represents the classic case of a small country. It is surrounded on all sides by Senagal, except for its short Atlantic coastline, and extends 484 km inland, varying in width between 24 and 48 km along the River Gambia. Apart from being a geographical Lilliput, it has few natural resources and lacks the type of controversial leadership that commands world attention.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , December 1990 , pp. 621 - 648
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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