Why is The Gambia Surrounded by Senegal?

Look at a map of West Africa and you will notice a curious indent running from the Atlantic Ocean inland into Senegal.

This is The Gambia, a separate country surrounded on three sides by its larger neighbor. It follows the course of the Gambie River to the ocean for around 300 miles, and measures just 15–30 miles in width. The capital city of Banjul sits at the mouth of the river, and there is a short Atlantic coastline with some famous beaches.

As with many borders around the world, the shape of the country’s frontiers was decided by imperialist Europeans. In this case the British, who controlled the lower river in the 19^th century, and the French, who ruled Senegal, negotiated a number of territorial concessions that gave The Gambia its long, thin shape.

Over the course of the 20^th century The Gambia and Senegal engaged in periodic discussions to unite as one nation, and the Senegambia confederation was formed in 1982. However, in 1989, the pair split up once more, leaving the two distinct countries that still exist today.

The Gambia is the smallest non-island country in Africa and one of the continent’s most densely populated.