Kuntaur is a town located in central part of
the Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
.
According to the 2013 census, there are 3074 inhabitants. The town is the seat of the Kuntaur
Local Government Area (the western half of the former
Central River Division), which has a population of 98,966.
Geography
Kuntaur lies on the north bank of the
Gambia River
The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra) is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul. It is navigabl ...
, about three kilometres south of
Wassu and 13 kilometres north of
Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh or Jangjangbureh is a town, founded in 1832, on Janjanbureh Island, also known as MacCarthy Island, in the Gambia River in eastern Gambia. Until 1995, it was known as Georgetown and was the second largest town in the country. It is th ...
. The North Bank Road, an important highway crosses Wassu, where the well-known
Wassu stone circles
The Senegambian stone circles are groups of megalithic stone circles that lie in The Gambia north of Janjanbureh and in central Senegal. With an approximate area of 30,000 km²,Laport et al. 2012, p. 410 they are sometimes divided into th ...
are located. The town is the seat of the eponymous
Local Government Area, in the
district of Niani,
Cultural sights
The
Senegambian stone circles
The Senegambian stone circles are groups of megalithic stone circles that lie in The Gambia north of Janjanbureh and in central Senegal. With an approximate area of 30,000 km²,Laport et al. 2012, p. 410 they are sometimes divided into th ...
which are regarded as a place of worship among the
Serer are not far from the area.
[Meagher, Allen (pub), ''Historic sites of The Gambia. Ada Dinkiralu (Mandinka), Bereb-I-Chosan (Wolof), Tarica Tawal (Fula), Nannin (Jola), Soninke Ada (Serehuli), I-Mofan Chosan (Serer). An official guide to the monuments and sites of The Gambia.'' National Council for Arts and Culture, Banjul The Gambia (1998), p.15-16, ]
Economy and infrastructure
Located about 248 kilometres from the river mouth to the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, the town is the last
inland port
An inland port is a port on an inland waterway, such as a river, lake, or canal, which may or may not be connected to the sea. The term "inland port" is also used to refer to a dry port.
Examples
The United States Army Corps of Engineers pub ...
that can be navigated by large commercial
ships. This port is a major transit point for
peanuts
''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
and peanut related products.
References
Populated places in the Gambia
Central River Division
Local Government Areas of the Gambia
{{Gambia-geo-stub