The Gambia, officially the Republic of the Gambia (in English: Republic of the Gambia), is a nation in western Africa. It is entirely surrounded by Senegal, except at the mouth of the Gambia River in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Banjul, although the largest city in the country is Serekunda. The country is located on the banks of the river Gambia, which gives its name to the country, and which runs through the center of it with its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The country has 10 500 km² of surface and an estimated population of 1.7 million people.

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The Gambia shares with the rest of West African nations a past associated with the slave market, which was the key factor for the location and maintenance of a colony on the Gambia River, first maintained by the Portuguese and later by the British Empire. On February 18, 1965, the Gambia achieved its independence from the United Kingdom and since then the country has enjoyed relative political stability, with the exception of a short period of military dictatorship in 1994.