The Gambia is a small West African country almost entirely surrounded by Senegal, with Banjul as its capital. Its population reached about 2.77 million in 2023. The country returned to democratic rule after the 2016 election ended the long presidency of Yahya Jammeh.
Democracy studies in Banjul focuses on a real and recent transition: rebuilding independent institutions, press freedom, electoral reform, and civil society after authoritarian rule. The Gambia’s experience is a compact case study in how small states manage political change.
Regional context is available in West African literature in Ghana, West African economic development, and West African history in Benin. A cultural counterpart is West African film studies in Nigeria.

