Gambia
Gambia is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 12.84°, -13.15°
About Gambia
The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra, French: Fleuve Gambie, Portuguese: Rio Gâmbia) is a major river in West Africa, running 1,120 kilometres (700 mi) from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul. It is navigable for about half that length.
The river is strongly associated with The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, which occupies the downstream half of the river and its two banks.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Gambia River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gambia in Depth
Geography
The Gambia River runs a total length of 1,120 kilometres (700 mi). From the Fouta Djallon, it runs northwest into the Tambacounda Region of Senegal, where it flows through the Parc National du Niokolo Koba, then is joined by the Nieri Ko and Koulountou and passing through the Barrakunda Falls before entering the Gambia at Koina. At this point, the river runs generally west, but in a meandering course with a number of oxbows, and about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from its mouth, it gradually widens to over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide where it meets the sea.
There are several bridges crossing the river. The largest and furthest downriver is the Senegambia Bridge between the towns of Farafenni and Soma in The Gambia.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the area along the Gambia River include the Jola, the Balante, the Bainuk, and the Manjak. The Carthaginian explorer Hanno the Navigator may have reached the Gambia during his expedition in the fifth century BC.
According to oral tradition, large numbers of Mandinka immigrants from Mali led by Tiramakhan Traore, one of Sundiata's top generals, came to the region in the 14th century. Some modern historians, however, posit that relatively few immigrants, primarily jula traders, instead led a gradual socio-cultural shift towards identification with the higher-status Mandinka ethnicity and the ruling Mali Empire.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Gambia River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gambia: Key Facts
| Length | 1,130 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 2,000 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 69,931 km² |
| Source | Fouta Djallon |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Drainage system | Gambia River basin |
| Tributaries | Niokolo Koba, Koulountou, Prufu Bolon, Pallan Bolon, Nianija Bolong |
Facts from Wikidata Q160819 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Gambia: Quick Answers
- Where is Gambia?
- Gambia is located in Senegal and Gambia and Guinea, at 12.8352° N, 13.1476° W.
- Are there dams on the Gambia?
- No dam on the Gambia is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.