See all Posts in the Wanderlust – A Travel Blog Series
Surveys on geographic literacy in the United States suggest that most Americans have difficulty identifying countries outside of North America and Europe.
On a map of Africa, most people would be lucky to identify more than two or three countries correctly. Very few would correctly identify The Gambia; many have never even heard of it. That is a shame, because The Gambia is a fascinating place to visit with a couple of unique historic and cultural ties to America.
The Gambia is one of only two countries in the world with the article “The” as part of their names (the other being The Bahamas). It is located just south of Senegal in the westernmost part of Africa. As a former British colony, English is widely spoken there.
The Gambia River defines its geography. From the port city of Banjul, the contours of the country closely follow the Gambia River 300 miles into the African interior. The widest point is just 30 miles north to south.
We were fortunate to explore the country on a small ship that sailed the length of the river, stopping in villages and wildlife refuges along the way. The Gambian wildlife palette is not as large or colorful as Kenya, South Africa or Botswana, but there is still plenty to see.
Monkeys chatter and swing from the treetops along the riverbanks. Hippos and crocodiles call the river home and more than 500 exotic bird species make this an amazing destination for birders.
The Gambia is a one-crop agricultural country growing peanuts, mostly on small family farms. Peanuts require lots of rain and climate change has reduced the amount of rainfall they receive. Historically, Gambian farmers sold their peanuts to the government, which then used the proceeds from processing and exports as its main source of revenue.
The Gambia is best known as the hub of the slave trade in Western Africa starting in the late 17th century. European slave traders transported enslaved people who were captured inland to Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly James Island) at the mouth of the Gambia River before they were sent on to the Americas.
Many Americans are familiar with Alex Haley’s 1976 novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.” Haley’s ancestor Kunta Kinte was abducted in 1767 from The Gambia at the age of 17 and sold as a slave. The slave trade persisted in Western Africa until the early 1900s.
Kunta Kinteh Island today is a pilgrimage for descendants of enslaved people, and a sobering reminder of man’s inhumanity to man for everyone who visits.
The other cultural tie between The Gambia and America is a small and unusual one that you really have to spend time there to appreciate. Natural, fluid, physical greetings are the norm everywhere and all the time in The Gambia. This style of greeting is a deeply cultural way of building community and connection. For me, the link between this centuries-old African tradition and modern-day American practice was striking.
If you can’t make a trip to Africa to see The Gambia for yourself, at least now you can point to it on a map, round up your extended family, fix up a bowl of peanuts, stream the Roots miniseries and gimme five.
(Dan Keyport is a CCLN board member and former Chaska business owner, now retired. His home base for international travel has been Chaska for more than 30 years.)
