The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Gambia, The
Economy - overview:
The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and
has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends
on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing
activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides.
Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic
activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan,
and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of
the reexport trade away from The Gambia. The government's 1998
seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest
purchaser of Gambian groundnuts; the following two marketing seasons
have seen substantially lower prices and sales. A decline in tourism
in 2000 has also held back growth. Unemployment and underemployment
rates are extremely high. Shortrun economic progress remains highly
dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on
responsible government economic management as forwarded by IMF
technical help and advice, and on expected growth in the
construction sector.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.56 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 46.8% industry: 9.3% services: 43.8% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
20% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
400,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%
Unemployment rate:
NA (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $58.63 million
expenditures: $62.64 million, including capital expenditures of $4.1
million (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),
palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:
processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages;
agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity - production:
85.33 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
79.36 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Current account balance:
$-42 million (2003)
Exports:
$156 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Exports - partners:
UK 26.7%, Belgium 6.7%, China 6.7%, Germany 6.7%, Italy 6.7%,
Malaysia 6.7%, Thailand 6.7% (2003)
Imports:
$271 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Imports - partners:
China 24.9%, Senegal 8.9%, Brazil 6.8%, UK 6.6%, US 5.6%,
Netherlands 5%, India 4.9% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$118 million (2003)
Debt - external:
$476 million (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$45.4 million (1995)
Currency:
dalasi (GMD)
Currency code:
GMD
Exchange rates:
dalasi per US dollar - NA (2003), 19.9182 (2002), 15.6872 (2001),
12.7876 (2000), 11.3951 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Gambia, The
Telephones - main lines in use:
38,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
100,000 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is
available
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
196,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (government-owned) (1997)
Televisions:
5,000 (2000)
Internet country code:
.gm
Internet hosts:
568 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2001)
Internet users:
25,000 (2002)
Transportation Gambia, The
Highways: total: 2,700 km paved: 956 km unpaved: 1,744 km (1999)
Waterways: