The Gambia
British river access created 450km sliver surrounded by Senegal; peanut monoculture peaked at 90% of exports, now remittances and tourism sustain $800 per-capita economy.
The Gambia exists because the British wanted river access to the West African interior—a geographic logic that created the world's most absurdly shaped nation: a 450-kilometer sliver along the Gambia River, never more than 50 kilometers wide, entirely surrounded by Senegal except for its Atlantic coastline.
The Gambia River was one of West Africa's major commercial arteries, navigable for ocean-going vessels nearly 250 kilometers inland. Portuguese traders arrived in the 15th century; British interests established Fort James at the river mouth in 1661. The subsequent centuries saw the territory's primary function: slave trading, with the river serving as an efficient transport route from interior collection points to Atlantic shipping.
British colonial boundaries drew lines that maximized river control while minimizing administrative burden. The result was a country with almost no hinterland—every point on Gambian soil lies within 25 kilometers of the river or the sea. When Gambia achieved independence in 1965, it emerged as an economy dependent on peanut cultivation on thin strips of riverbank soil, surrounded by French-speaking Senegal on three sides.
The peanut monoculture defined post-independence economics. At peak, groundnuts and groundnut products comprised over 90% of export earnings. This extreme concentration meant that world peanut prices determined national prosperity more than any policy Banjul could implement. Diversification attempts—tourism along the Atlantic beaches, re-export trade through the free port—added revenue streams but never displaced agricultural dependency.
Geography created an inescapable relationship with Senegal. The Casamance region of southern Senegal is separated from the rest of the country by Gambian territory. Senegalese vehicles and goods must transit through the Gambia to reach Casamance, creating customs revenue for Banjul but also friction over transit fees and smuggling. The two countries attempted confederation from 1982 to 1989; it dissolved amid disputes over economic integration and defense sharing.
Today, The Gambia remains one of Africa's smallest and least developed economies. Remittances from the diaspora exceed tourism receipts. The Gambia River still defines economic geography, but its commercial significance has declined as road transport replaced riverine shipping across the region. Per-capita income hovers around $800.
The 2025 reality is a young population with limited opportunity at home. Youth unemployment drives migration attempts, often through dangerous Mediterranean routes. Tourism depends on European winter sun-seekers whose spending keeps hotels operating but creates seasonal volatility.
By 2026, The Gambia's trajectory depends largely on Senegalese relations and regional integration. The river that justified its creation as a separate colony no longer confers the commercial advantage it once did. What remains is a colonial border artifact—a nation shaped like a finger, pointing into a continent with which it cannot integrate because its colonial borders face the wrong direction.