History

French and British colonial interests collided on this region around the Gambia river in Africa. The Portuguese arrived first in 1455, but British traders obtained from them exclusive rights to the river in 1588. The French and British tussled for two centuries to control the area but in 1783, the French conceded. It became a British crown colony in 1889 and a constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth in 1965. Five years later, The Gambia became a republic, under Sir Dawda K. Iawara. His rule lasted until 1994, when he was ousted in a coup led by Yahya Jammeh. The US, the UK and the European Union all cut off further aid until such time as democracy would be restored. The top receiving countries for Gambian emigrants are Spain, the US, Nigeria, Senegal, and the UK. While the Gambia and Spain do not share historic, cultural, or trade ties, rural Gambians have migrated to Spain in large numbers because of its proximity and the availability of jobs in its underground economy (this flow slowed following the onset of Spain’s late 2007 economic crisis). The Gambia’s role as a host country to refugees is a result of wars in several of its neighboring West African countries. Since 2006, refugees from the Casamance conflict in Senegal have replaced their pattern of flight and return with permanent settlement in The Gambia, often moving in with relatives along the Senegal-Gambia border. The strain of providing for about 7,400 Casamance refugees has increased poverty among Gambian villagers.