Yearbook 2007
The Gambia. As expected, the ruling party Alliance for
Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) won big in
the parliamentary elections in January and received 42 of
the 48 seats that were at stake. There was a slight decline
from the 2002 election, which was, however, boycotted by
most opposition parties. Four seats went to the United
Democratic Party (UDP) while one seat went to an independent
candidate. A further five members of parliament are
appointed directly by the president.
According to
CountryAAH, an alleged coup attempt in March 2006 resulted in severe
penalties for 13 people, most of the former military. Courts
handed down four life sentences, while two men were
sentenced to 25 years in prison and four to each 10 years.
Three men will serve 20 years in prison.
In February, the United Nations High Representative in
Gambia was expelled after publicly questioning the
president's claims that AIDS can be easily cured through a
cure of herbs and bananas.
Gambia - Banjul
Banjul
Banjul, until 1973 Bathurst, the capital of the Gambia; 31,300
residents (2012). Banjul is the commercial center of Gambia and through its
location on the island of Saint Mary, near the mouth of the Gambia River, is
also an important transport center. The industry is focused on peanut
processing, Gambia's main export product. Until the 1994 coup d'état, the
tourism industry was of great importance. The city has an international airport
located about 25 km southwest of the city center.
Banjul was founded in 1816 by the British.
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