Living in Gambia guide for expats

The 11,295km² nation is surrounded by Senegal, barring an 80km Atlantic coastline with scenic lagoons, golden beaches, and biologically-rich coastal reserves. Known as the 'smiling coast of Africa', its population of just over two million has a reputation for being warm-hearted, and the Gambian people are often considered to be the real treasures of the country.

It may be one of the safest countries in Africa, in spite of its recent authoritarian rule and poor human rights record, but its stability has not resulted in prosperity. Despite the presence of the Gambia River, which runs through the middle of the country and is teeming with wildlife ' including nearly 600 bird species, manatees, hippos, and colobus monkeys ' only one-sixth of the land in the country is fertile due to poor soil quality. This has led to one main crop being grown ' peanuts. As a result of this lack of agricultural revenue, tourism is becoming an important source of foreign exchange, and expats can find increasing opportunities in this sector. Also, many expats have set up their businesses to capitalise on this growing tourism industry.

Although most Gambians are at least bilingual and will speak various tribal languages amongst themselves, English is the official language of the country, which makes communication relatively easy for many expats. There are many tribes, which each have their traditions and language, but the main ones are Mandinka, Jola, Fula, and Wolof. In 2015 former President Jammeh declared the country to be an Islamic republic, as over 95% of the population follow the tenets of Islam (the remaining percentage is mainly Christian). However, there is no strict adherence to Sharia Law or religious dress.

Most people live along the Gambia River, and the largest communities ' including the largest city, Serekunda, and the capital of Banjul ' are found at the mouth of the river by the Atlantic coast. Most expats tend to live in Banjul where the UN and NGOs provide employment opportunities.

Since the end of the 20th century, drought, economic deterioration, and high unemployment have driven many Gambians abroad ' particularly to Spain ' and a sizeable chunk of the economy comes from money that is sent home by expat Gambians. However, the current President, Adama Barrow, pledged during his 2016 election campaign to revive the country's economy, and his inauguration in 2017 has also raised hopes of a new era of media freedom that was denied under the previous president's 22-year rule.

The future is looking bright for this little West African nation. The Republic of the Gambia is in an inter-tropical zone, which means that there are two main seasons (although temperatures hover at around 30°C throughout the year). The dry season lasts from November to February, which is the best time to watch wildlife and birds, and arguably the best time to visit as the weather is dry but the temperatures are still comfortable. By March, it starts to get very hot; then the rainy season comes from June to September when there are even sometimes tornados.