Gambia

Gambia, river, western Africa, rising in the highlands of the Fouta Djallon, in Guinea. It flows generally west through the nations of Senegal and The Gambia before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean by a wide estuary near St Mary's Island, the site of Banjul, the capital of The Gambia. A sandbar at the mouth does not obstruct navigation even during low tide. The river from source to outlet extends little more than 480 km (300 mi) in a straight line, but because of its sinuous course, the actual length is about 1,125 km (700 mi). The flood period of the Gambia is from June to November, at which time the Barraconda Rapids, some 443 km (275 mi) from the mouth of the river, are traversable by small craft. For a long time, the Gambia River was the only important artery of trade in The Gambia. It was sighted by Portuguese sailors in 1446 and was explored in 1455 by the Venetian navigator Alvise da Ca’da Mosto. Along its banks in Senegal is the Niokolo Koba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.