The Republic of The Gambia is located on the West Africa Coast between latitudes 13.0o North and longitude 13.7 o and 16.0 o West. The Gambia stretches about 350 km from the coast land inland with its width varying between 25 to 60 Km occupying a total land area of 10,690 km sq. It is bordered on the North, East and South by the Republic of Senegal and in the West by the Atlantic Ocean. The country has a tropical climate characterised by 2 seasons, rainy season June-October and dry season November-May.

The Gambia is a West African nation that gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 after having been under British colonial rule for 207 years. Geographically The Gambia borders the North Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by French speaking Senegal, with whom it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989.

Yahya Jammeh led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the incumbent president Sir Dawda Jawara. A new constitution and presidential elections were held in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, with a return to civilian rule. Yahya Jammeh has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011. The Gambia is one of the least developed countries in the world with a human development index ranking of 151 out of 169 countries in 2010 to 168 out of 173 countries in 2011.