Gambia

American  

[gam-bee-uh] / ˈgæm bi ə /

noun

1. a river in W Africa, flowing W to the Atlantic. 500 miles (800 km) long.

2. The, a republic extending inland along both sides of this river: formerly a British crown colony and protectorate; gained independence 1965; member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 4,003 sq. mi. (10,368 sq. km). Banjul.

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Gambia British  

/ ˈɡæmbɪə /

noun

1. a republic in W Africa, entirely surrounded by Senegal except for an outlet to the Atlantic: sold to English merchants by the Portuguese in 1588; became a British colony in 1843; gained independence and became a member of the Commonwealth in 1965; joined with Senegal to form the Confederation of Senegambia (1982–89); consists of a strip of land about 16 km (10 miles) wide, on both banks of the Gambia River, extending inland for about 480 km (300 miles). Official language: English. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: dalasi. Capital: Banjul. Pop: 1 883 051 (2013 est). Area: 11 295 sq km (4361 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Gambian
  adjective

Example Sentences

They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

There were no details of the circumstances, although online reports suggested he had died in Gambia.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

One morning in January the crew received an alert from another NGO that a boat which had departed The Gambia carrying 103 people, including nine women and three children, was missing.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

The 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which The Gambia accuses Myanmar of breaching in its treatment of the Rohingya, was adopted following the mass murder of Jews by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Limnyuy, Fatu, and Daré took the last three, representing Cameroon, Gambia, and Togo.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton