Word: gambia
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...months ago Stuttgart's Institute of Foreign Relations published its latest revised edition of The National An thems of the World. It was outdated even before it went on sale. So fast are new nations emerging these days that the anthems of Africa's two newest, Gambia and Zambia, appeared after the anthology had gone to press. At last count there were more than 150 assorted anthems in the world, hailing the glories of every nation from Red China ("Build anew the Great Wall from flesh and blood, arise!") to tiny Liechtenstein ("Where the chamois freely jumps about...
...Gambia-not to be confused with Gabon or Zambia-last week became Africa's 37th country to gain its independence...
...ceremonies at the capital at Bathurst, the British formally turned over sovereignty to the continent's smallest nation, a wriggle of land 200 miles long and 15 to 30 miles wide situated on both sides of the lower Gambia River. Except for its coast, it is entirely surrounded by the former French colony of Senegal, and one British governor-general called Gambia "a geographic and economic absurdity." The British, who arrived in Gambia in the 16th century, repeatedly tried to trade it off to France in exchange for better land. It has no railway, no airline, not even...
Enterprising traders do a brisk business smuggling cigarettes into neighboring West African countries through Gambia. The country imports enough cigarettes to supply 3½ packs a day to each of its 316,000 men, women and children, but sporadic attempts to diversify the economy have ended in disaster. A mining scheme failed (no minerals); an ambitious shark fishery collapsed (no demand). The British government put $2,000,000 into a model poultry farm outside Bathurst, but disease and bad feed killed off the chick ens, and after production of 40,000 eggs-at $50 an egg-the farm was transformed...
Despite its handicaps, Gambia's future is not unduly bleak. Premier David Kairaba Jawara, 41, a British-educated veterinarian ("There's not a cow in Gambia that doesn't know me personally") who turned to politics five years ago, is a no-nonsense democrat and competent administrator. He has already signed agreements with Senegal for mutual defense, economic cooperation and sharing of diplomatic missions. Solidly pro-British, he has also talked London into underwriting his tiny economy to the tune of $10 million over the next three years-and the U.S. has given $125,000 for agricultural...