Check out Gambia For An Historic Look At A Past British Empire

The Gambia is a slender strip of a place and is the smallest (only 48km wide) on the African continental mainland, officially recognized as the Republic of The Gambia but is additional commonly referred to as Gambia. It is bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a modest coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The River Gambia is the main landmark of the nation and the major source of irrigation, flows via the middle of the region and into the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia was previously element of the British Empire but obtained its independence in 1965.

A cold army coup d’etat took area in the funds Banjul on July 22, 1994. The then President Dawda Jawara was overthrown and replaced by the country’s recent President Yahya Jammeh. Arch 22 was built as a gateway to the capital to honour this celebration. This 35m high gate is at the middle of an open up square and homes a textile museum.

The weather in the Gambia is subtropical with cool and warm seasons. For the most portion of the year, hot and humid weather prevails with the rains from June to Oct. The maximum temperatures through this time can get to all over 43˚C with decreased temperatures in parts in the vicinity of the sea. The interesting year is from November to Could with ongoing dry weather, with temperatures as lower as 16°C in Banjul and surrounding places.

The Gambia has a extensive array of all-natural and historic heritage to discover moreover the superb sandy shorelines these types of as: forts, historic towns and villages, forests, nationwide parks, historical ruins, museums, historic monuments and wildlife. Seashores in The Gambia are sandy and not specifically crowded and the key seashores are in the vacation resort areas. Do don’t forget although, the Gambia is a Muslim state and you need to gown appropriately away from the beach front, swimming swimming pools or vacationer parts.

Cape Stage has a amazing significant sandy seaside and there is h2o sports centre at the Sunshine Beach front Hotel that give pursuits these kinds of as jet skis, canoes, windsurfing and sailing.

The Gambia is a chicken watchers delight, attracting fowl lovers from all over the globe. There are more than 500 a variety of species of hen in what is deemed a comparatively compact place and several birdwatchers return each and every 12 months.

Wrestling is the countrywide activity in the Gambia and it is generally acknowledged as “Borreh”. For the duration of every combat, musicians conquer drums until eventually one particular male is pinned to the floor on his again. The winner then circles the group in a victory dance following each individual session to accumulate revenue for his results.

Points of interest in the cash Banjul involve the lively Albert Sector which sells a range of merchandise and contains area handicrafts. The Gambian Countrywide Museum showcases some very fascinating and insightful maps and textual content with reference to archaeology, African tradition and the colonial era.

The Abuko Mother nature Reserve is Gambia’s oldest protected space it is located exterior the village of Lamin in the Kombo North District close to 25km from Banjul. It covers some 180 acres of land and is a great locale that appeals to many species of exotic chook and wild animals like crocodiles, hyenas, antelopes, lizards and monkeys. There are far more than 50 types of trees and the reserve also guards and conserves a large space of gallery forest.

The woodcarving Centre at Brikama presents an insight into the manufacturing of wood carving and once in a while you can see the craftsmen at do the job. A great assortment of woodcarvings and souvenirs can be purchased at a honest price.

Makasutu is a palm forest positioned on the lender of a very winding tributary of The Gambia River (Mandina bolong), not considerably from Brikama. It is a combination of quite a few various eco-units with dense forest, Savanna and mangrove regions. Various versions of birds inhabit the spot, monkeys, watch lizards, pygmy deer and perhaps even baboons are also among the wildlife uncovered there.

Kiang West Countrywide Park (KWNP) is located in the Lessen River Division in the Kiang West District, about 145km from Banjul and addresses an area of around 11,000 hectares. In 1987, it was proven as a Countrywide Park. Dry deciduous woodland and guinea savannah handles most of the Park there are wide stretches of mangrove creeks and tidal flats. The West African Manatee, otters, sitatunga and roan antelopes have been spotted. Moreover, there are a lot more than 300 species of birds have been sighted in the park.

The Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve is situated on the North Lender of The Gambia River reverse the Kiang West Nationwide Park. Bao Bolon has 4 primary ecosystems – estuary, woodland-savannah, salt-marsh and mangrove forest. Crocodiles, Clawless otters, warthog, hyena and jackal are among the wildlife. The birdlife is exceptionally fantastic there, and some exceptional species such as the goliath heron can be noticed. You can access this reserve by having a boat journey across the river from Tendaba.

The River Gambia Countrywide Park (Baboon Island) is residence of the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Believe in and is the longest managing chimp rehabilitation undertaking in Africa – due to the fact 1969. The have confidence in provides orphaned chimps the possibility to grow and thrive in their organic habitat instead than some unthinkable destiny.

James Island is situated in the middle of the River Gambia about 25km upriver from Barra. Fort James was originally created in the 1650’s and was ruined and subsequently rebuilt a handful of occasions all through battles amongst the British and the French- now in ruins. The fort was abandoned in 1779 when Britain withdrew from the slave trade. The island is affected by weighty erosion, and is now only a fraction of its authentic dimension. The ruins of many of the British administrative buildings have now been protected versus even further erosion, but as the island is very low and vulnerable to flooding, the properties are lashed by waves. It is now detailed as a UNESCO Globe Heritage Site.

The British developed Fort Bullen is also mentioned as a UNESCO Earth Heritage Web site and is found on the river’s north financial institution at Barra Level opposite Banjul. The fort was built about 1926 to secure the investing route of the Gambia River and fend off any assaults on what was formerly Bathurst (now Banjul). Fort Bullen was at the time additional set to use as an observation article and artillery foundation by the British Military all through WW2 to shield from likely assaults.

Janjangbureh is situated on the north facet of MacCarthy Island and has ferry products and services from the two the north and south bank. It was recognised as Georgetown in Colonial situations and was a busy, thriving administrative centre crammed with grandiose properties. These days it has a much more comfortable ambience. The aged commissioners quarters, article place of work, law enforcement station, slave residence, market place and restaurants are all inside close proximity of each other.

There are all-around 40 internet sites of stone circles from Farafenni to Basse and extra which lengthen north into Senegal. These circles of stones date again above a thousand several years and are considered to be burial websites. The stones at Wassu are the most nicely acknowledged and consist of some exceptional stone. There is also a museum which has types and photographs which depict the heritage of the stones. The selection of stones in each and every circle may differ from 10 to 24, diameters up to to 7m, from just beneath a metre to a minor about 3m in top.

Niumi National Park is located in the north-west portion of the nation and stretches from just outdoors of the city of Barra to the northern border with Senegal and close to the Delta du Saloum Countrywide Park. Ginak Island is integrated into the park detached from the mainland by the Niji Bolon channel. There are two villages on the island and all over 15km of slim sandy beaches. There is a smaller coastal lagoon on the island with salt marshes, mangrove, mudflats and rice fields and the relaxation of the island is dry woodland. The mainland component of the park has more common, substantial mangrove forest and additional smaller locations of salt marsh and mudflats.

Bijilo Forest Park is a small coastal reserve dominated by Rhun Palm is just a shorter stroll from Kololi and is additional frequently regarded by the locals as Monkey Park. There are nicely retained trails of different lengths that can take you by way of the ample and shaded vegetation, and you’ll effortlessly see monkeys and lots of species of birds.

Katschi-Kali is a sacred pool in the town of Bakau and is residence to above a hundred crocodiles. The pool was learned by the inhabitants of Bakau generations in the past.

The guide “Roots” by Arthur Haley is about Kunta Kinte who found his roots in the Gambian village of Juffureh. This inspired the “Roots Homecoming Festival” in commemoration of the enforced slave trade.

The Tanje Village Museum is a little open up air museum depicting the organic heritage and traditional tradition of how life was in The Gambia a century or so back. There are several houses that you can go within and investigate to see how things were performed back then. Visitors can also just take a stroll about the museum’s yard and consider a closer seem at a range of vegetation, trees and bushes that can be observed in The Gambia. There is a reality sheet obtainable to clarify the names of these and their employs.

Tumani Tenda is a common Jolla village located all-around 25 km East of Brikama and 3 km from Kafatu Bolong. The village is household to all around 300 inhabitants and there is an eco tourism camp just outside of the village exactly where guests can remain to encounter the tradition of this nearly self adequate neighborhood. The accommodation is made up of spherical conventional African properties created with local sources and blends in with the organic setting.