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The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, located in West Africa and surrounded by Senegal. The River Gambia runs through the center of the country from East to West, and most of the country's population resides on or near the West Coast. The Gambia experiences two major seasons, with most vegetative growth occurring in the wet season and most feed and food insecurity experienced during the dry season.

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The Gambia's Statistics
  • •  The average per capita GDP in The Gambia is $490.06 USD
  • •  Over a third of The Gambia’s population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 USD per day
  • •  Ten-percent (10.5%) of The Gambia’s population is acutely malnourished
  • •  25% of the children of The Gambia under the age of 5 are either severely or moderately stunted due to undernourishment

Learn more about nutrition in The Gambia here.

Agriculture in The Gambia
  • •  77% of the labor force is involved in agriculture
  • •  Production animals in The Gambia on average yield 30 times less than their counterparts in more developed countries
  • •  The majority of dairy products available in The Gambia are imported from foreign producers and are too expensive for the most food insecure populations to access

Click here to learn more about rearing livestock in The Gambia.

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A baobab tree in the dry season
The Gambia's Ecosystem
  • •  The biggest threat to Gambian biodiversity is habitat loss as a result of human land use
  • •  This land use is predominantly agricultural, with additional contributions from timber extraction and sand mining
  • •  Brush fires resulting from the burning of crop residues (a high quality food source for livestock) is another major driver of biodiversity loss

Click here to learn more about issues facing biodiversity and ecosystems in The Gambia and worldwide.