Gambia Districts

The Gambia is a ribbon of land on either bank of one river, with Senegal on every side but the Atlantic. The district is the tier below the divisions: it is the unit of the district tribunal, the seyfo (the district chief) and the national census, and it names the places on a road sign far better than the division does. Most of the names repeat in pairs, Upper and Lower, East and West, so this is a quiz about the compass as much as the map.

The quiz: Name to place, on the map
Grouped by: Local government area: the six divisions, plus the city of Banjul and the Kanifing municipality
In the game: 49 districts

Start

What you are looking at

The districts of the eight local government areas. Two of the eight are cities: Banjul, the capital, on an island at the river mouth, and the Kanifing Municipal Council, which holds the largest towns on the coast. The file this map is drawn from splits them into districts of their own, three in Banjul and six in Kanifing, so the list is longer than the one for the six divisions alone.

The groups are the local government areas. The divisions are named for the river: West Coast, Lower River and North Bank at the mouth, and Central River North, Central River South and Upper River heading inland.

How to place one

Find the river. The Gambia River runs the whole length of the country, and the districts hang off it on both sides. North Bank is the north side of the lower river, Lower River the south side.
Start at the coast. The Atlantic coast is the West Coast division, with the Kombo districts around the capital and the Foni districts to the south. Banjul and Kanifing are the specks at the mouth.
Split Central River in two. Central River North and Central River South are the same stretch of river on its two banks. Janjanbureh, once called Georgetown, is on an island in the river between them.
End at Basse. Upper River is the last division, in the east, and Basse is its largest town.

Every district, by local government area

West Coast9 districts: Foni Bintang Karenai, Foni Bondali, Foni Brefet, Foni Jarrol, Foni Kansala, Kombo Central, Kombo East, Kombo North, Kombo South
North Bank7 districts: Central Baddibu, Illiassa, Jokadu, Lower Baddibu, Lower Niumi, Sabach Sanjal, Upper Niumi
Lower River6 districts: Jarra Central, Jarra East, Jarra West, Kiang Central, Kiang East, Kiang West
Central River South6 districts: Janjanbureh, Lower Fuladu West, Niamina Dankunku, Niamina East, Niamina West, Upper Fuladu West
Central River North5 districts: Lower Saloum, Niani, Nianija, Sami, Upper Saloum
Upper River7 districts: Basse, Jimara, Kantora, Sandu, Tumana, Wuli East, Wuli West
Banjul3 districts: Banjul Central, Banjul North, Banjul South
Kanifing6 districts: Bakau, Jeshwang, Mangrove, Sere Kunda Central, Sere Kunda East, Sere Kunda West

Worked examples

Banjul Central

The capital

Banjul Central is the smallest district on the map, on the island at the mouth of the river. Banjul North and Banjul South are the other two districts of the city, and the Kanifing districts are the mainland beside it.

Janjanbureh

A district on an island

Janjanbureh is a small district around an island town in the middle of the river. It sits where Central River North and Central River South meet, and it belongs to the southern division.

Basse

The far end

Basse is a district in the Upper River division, near the eastern tip of the country, and the last stop on the river before the border closes in on both banks.

Frequently asked questions

How many districts does the Gambia have?

49 on this map, in eight local government areas. The usual tally of 43 counts Banjul and Kanifing as one unit each, and the source this map is drawn from splits them into three and six districts.

What are the Gambia's local government areas?

Eight: the city of Banjul, the Kanifing Municipal Council, and the six divisions of West Coast, Lower River, North Bank, Central River North, Central River South and Upper River.