1.1. Geographic position of the country
1.2. Socio-economic information
1.3. Ecological information
Situated on the Atlantic Coast at The Bulge of West Africa, The Gambia occupies an area of approximately 11,295 square kilometres (Bojang, 1999). It extends eastward from the sea for about 480 km along both banks of The River Gambia (fig. 1). Near the mouth of The River, the country is over 48 km wide, diminishing to 24 km at the Upper River. The population of the country is 1.2 million in 1997 (FAO, 1999).
Fig. 1: Geographical position of The Gambia
The population density of The Gambia is 120 population/km² with an annual rate of change of 2.3% based on data from 1995 to 2000 (FAO, 1999). Nearly 75 percent of the rural population are directly engaged in agriculture for the production of food and cash crops, which is currently, reported to be on the decline. Consequently, the exploitation and utilization of forest resources constitute the major economic activity of many rural and semi-urban Gambians; even though not much has been officially accounted. The GNP per caput in 1995 is 320 US$ with an annual growth rate of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (1990-1995) of 1.6% (FAO, 1999). The contribution of forestry to the GDP is estimated at 1% through the formal trade. This is believed to be less than the non-formal and illegal trans-boundary trade.
In terms of geographical positioning, The Gambia is located within the Sahel region of West Africa with a climate that has been classified as semi-arid or Sudano-Sahelian (Bojang, 2000). The central features of this type of climate are short wet season with an intense period of rainfall from June to October, and a long dry period lasting from November to May. Rainfall averages around 750 - 1,200 mm per annum with a progressive decrease from east to west of the country.
