Gambia: Flag and Facts
Gambia's flag has three horizontal stripes of red, blue and green, with thin white lines bordering the blue middle stripe.
- Official name
- Republic of the Gambia
- Capital
- Banjul
- Region
- Western Africa
- Population
- 2.5 million (2024)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- dalasi
- Area
- 10,689 km² (4,127 sq mi)
- People
- Gambian
- Calling code
- +220
- Highest point
- unnamed elevation 63 m
- Independence
- 18 February 1965 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- lion
- Borders
- Senegal
About Gambia
Red is for the sun and the savanna, blue for the river that gives the country its name, and green for forests and farming. The white edges mean unity and peace. The river matters so much because the whole country is basically its flood plain, lined by a few low hills. Senegal surrounds it on land.
Muslim traders built some of the first big towns here in the 10th century as stops on trade routes across the Sahara, moving gold, ivory and enslaved people. Britain set up a colony in 1664 aimed at shipping enslaved people across the Atlantic. Over roughly 300 years, European powers may have carried off up to 3 million people. Independence from the UK came on 18 February 1965. Rain falls from June to November.
Did you know?
- The highest point is an unnamed hill only 63 meters tall.
- In area, Gambia is a bit under two Delawares.
- The lion is the national symbol of Gambia.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Gambia
What is the capital of Gambia?
Banjul, with about 481,000 residents.
What currency does Gambia use?
The dalasi.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.