The system of transportation in

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 ...

mixes both public and private operations and consists of a system of roads (both paved and unpaved), water and air transportation. The

Trans-Gambia Highway The Trans-Gambia Highway is a major highway in The Gambia, running across the centre of the nation in a north–south direction. Within the Gambia, the highway consists of two main stretches, the North Bank Road and South Bank Road, each corres ...

runs along both sides of the

river Gambia 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 navigable f ...

, which bisects the country. The river may be crossed by ferry or the

Senegambia bridge The Senegambia bridge, also known as the Trans-Gambia Bridge, is a bridge in The Gambia that carries the Trans-Gambia Highway connecting northern and southern Gambia. It also provides access to the isolated Casamance province from the rest of Seneg ...

. There are no railways in the country.

History

During the colonial era, several small railways existed in the Gambia. One, in Bathurst (now

Banjul Banjul (,"Banjul"
(US) and ), officially the City of Ba ...

), stretched from Wellington Street to The Marina, now Liberation Avenue and Marina Parade respectively. A

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

map from 1909 clearly shows the railway. Both

Kuntaur Kuntaur is a town located in central part of the Gambia. 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 pop ...

and Kaur had similar railways from the wharfs to the warehouses. The railways had hand-pushed wagons for transporting of goods from ships. They were used by large companies involved in trading, such as

Maurel & Prom Maurel & Prom is an oil company specialising in the production of hydrocarbons. It is listed on Euronext Paris and has its registered office in Paris. The Group generates most of its business in Africa through the exploitation of onshore product ...

. These railways existed until the 1960s.

Railways

In 2009 an agreement was signed between Japan and Gambia for construction of a railway to

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

Roads

Highways:
The most important highway in the Gambia is the

. ''total:'' 3,742 km
(country comparison to the world: 159) ''paved:'' 723 km
''unpaved:'' 3,019 km (2004) Newly paved roads are usually in excellent condition.

Waterways

Waterways: 390 km (small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2008)
''country comparison to the world:'' 90 Ports and harbours:

Banjul Banjul (,"Banjul"
(US) and ), officially the City of Ba ...

Gambia Ports Authority The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) is a government agency responsible for the governance and maintenance of the ports and port facilities of the Gambia, principally that of the Port of Banjul on the Gambia River. The GPA was founded in 1972 and it ...

Merchant marine:
''total:5
''country comparison to the world:'' 133 ''by type:'' passenger/cargo: 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2008)

Airports

The country's only international airport is at

Yundum Yundum is a small town in Gambia, south of the capital, Banjul. It is situated adjacent to the country's international airport. The only airport in Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gam ...

, 26 km from

Banjul Banjul (,"Banjul"
(US) and ), officially the City of Ba ...

. Airports: 1 (2008):

Banjul International Airport Banjul International Airport, also known as Yundum International , is the international airport of Banjul, capital of the Gambia, built during World War II. History The only airport in Gambia is at Yundum. After World War II, Yundum airport ...

.
''country comparison to the world:'' 133 Airports - with paved runways:
''total:'' 1
''over 3,047 m:'' 1 (2008)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In the Gambia