Economy of the Gambia 69593 221479243 2008-06-24T18:02:54Z 86.134.82.226 /* Overview */ [[The Gambia]] has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Re-export trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but the 50% devaluation of the [[CFA franc]] in January 1994 made [[Senegalese]] goods more competitive and hurt the re-export trade. The Gambia has benefited from a rebound in tourism after its decline in response to the military's takeover in July 1994. ==Overview== [http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/economics-business/variable-638.html Current GDP per capita] of The Gambia registered a peak growth of 23.3% in the Seventies. But this proved unsustainable and it consequently shrank by 8.30% in the Eighties and a further 5.20% in the Nineties. Tourism in this country has three major strands. There is the traditional "sun, sea and sex" holiday making use of the hot climate and wonderful beaches. The Gambia is also usually the first African destination for many European [[birders]], in view of its easily accessed and spectacular avian fauna. There are also a significant number of [[African-American]]s tracing their roots in this country, from which so many Africans were taken during the slave trade. The tourist season is the [[dry season]], during the [[Northern Hemisphere]] winter. Short-run economic progress remains highly dependent on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid and on responsible government economic management as forwarded by [[IMF]] technical help and advice. ==Macro-economic trend== This is a chart of trend of gross domestic product of Gambia at market prices [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/01/data/dbginim.cfm estimated] by the International Monetary Fund with figures in millions of [[Dalasi]]. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year || Gross Domestic Product || US Dollar Exchange || Inflation Index (2000=100) |- | 1980 || 435 || 1.71 Dalasi || 13 |- | 1985 || 782 || 4.09 Dalasi || 25 |- | 1990 || 2,367 || 8.13 Dalasi || 65 |- | 1995 || 3,617 || 9.49 Dalasi || 90 |- | 2000 || 5,382 || 12.78 Dalasi || 100 |- | 2005 || 13,174 || 28.70 Dalasi || 158 |} For purchasing power parity comparisons, the US Dollar is exchanged at 4.35 Dalasi only. The Gambia's economy is characterized by traditional [[subsistence agriculture]], a historic reliance on peanuts or groundnuts for export earnings, a re-export trade built up around its ocean port, low import duties, minimal administrative procedures, a fluctuating exchange rate with no exchange controls, and a significant tourism industry. Average wages in 2007 hover around $1-2 per day. Agriculture accounts for 23% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 75% of the labor force. Within agriculture, peanut production accounts for 5.3% of GDP, other crops 8.3%, livestock 4.4%, fishing 1.8%, and forestry 0.5%. Industry accounts for 12% of GDP and forestry 0.5%. Manufacturing accounts for 6% of GDP. The limited amount of manufacturing is primarily agriculturally based (e.g., peanut processing, bakeries, a brewery, and a tannery). Other manufacturing activities include soap, soft drinks, and clothing. Services account for 19% of GDP. In FY 1999 the UK and other EU countries were The Gambia's major domestic export markets, accounting for 86% in total; followed by [[Asia]] at 14%; and the [[Africa]]n subregion, including [[Senegal]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], and [[Ghana]] at 8%. The [[United Kingdom|U.K.]] and the other EU countries--namely, [[Germany]], [[France]], [[Netherlands]], and [[Belgium]]--were the major source of imports accounting for 60% of the total share of imports followed by Asia at 23%, and Cote d'Ivoire and other African countries at 17%. The Gambia reports 11% of its exports going to and 14.6% of its imports coming from the [[United States]]. '''GDP:''' :''purchasing power parity'' $1.4 billion (1999 est.) :''real growth rate:'' 4.2% (1999 est.) :''per capita:'' purchasing power parity - $1,030 (1999 est.) :''composition by sector:'' ::''agriculture:'' 23% ::''industry:'' 13% ::''services:'' 64% (1997 est.) '''Inflation rate (consumer prices):''' 2.5% (1999 est.) '''Labor force:''' 400,000 '''Labor force - by occupation:''' agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6% '''Budget:''' :''revenues:'' $88.6 million :''expenditures:'' $98.2 million, including capital expenditures of $ (Not Available) (FY96/97 est.) '''Industries:''' processing [[peanut]]s, [[fish]], and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing '''Electricity''' :''production:'' 75 GWh, entirely from fossil fuels (1998) :''consumption:'' 70 GWh (1998) :''Electricity is not imported or exported from The Gambia.'' '''Agriculture - products:''' [[peanut]]s, [[pearl millet]], [[sorghum]], [[rice]], [[maize]], [[cassava]] ([[tapioca]]), [[palm tree|palm]] kernels; [[cattle]], [[sheep]], [[goat]]s; forest and fishery resources not fully exploited. '''Exports:''' $132 million (f.o.b., 1998) :''commodities:'' [[peanut]]s and peanut products, fish, [[cotton]] lint, palm kernels. :''partners:'' [[Benelux]] 78%, [[Japan]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Hong Kong]], [[France]], [[Spain]] (1997) '''Imports:''' $201 million (f.o.b., 1998) :''commodities:'' foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment. :''partners:'' [[Hong Kong]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Netherlands]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]], [[France]], [[Senegal]], [[Belgium]] (1997) '''Debt - external:''' $430 million (1997 est.) '''Economic aid - recipient:''' $45.4 million (1995) '''Currency:''' 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut '''Exchange rates:''' dalasi (D) per US$1 - 11.626 (November 1999), 10.643 (1998), 10.200 (1997), 9.789 (1996), 9.546 (1995) '''Fiscal year:''' [[1 July]] - [[30 June]] ==See also== *[[Economy of Africa]] *[[The Gambia]] ==External links== *{{dmoz|Regional/Africa/Gambia/Business_and_Economy/Economic_Development}} {{WTO}} {{Africa in topic|Economy of}} [[Category:African Union member economies|Gambia]] [[Category:Economy of The Gambia]] [[Category:WTO member economies|Gambia, The]] [[es:Economía de Gambia]] [[fr:Économie de la Gambie]] [[pt:Economia da Gâmbia]] [[ru:Экономика Гамбии]]