The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conducted a military intervention and achieved Jammeh's removal two days after his term was initially scheduled to end.

In 1588, the claimant to the Portuguese throne, António, Prior of Crato, sold exclusive trade rights on the Gambia River to English merchants.

This referendum failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, civil rights, and liberties.

[42] In 1997 the Independent Electoral Commission - IEC- The Gambia was established to replace the PIEC, responsible for the registration of voters and for the conduct of elections and referendums.

Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections.

[45] On 11 December 2015, President Jammeh (without any legal authority) unilaterally declared The Gambia an Islamic Republic, calling it a break from the country's colonial past, although the constitution remained secular.

[50] The high court of the Gambia sentenced main opposition leader and human rights advocate Ousainou Darboe to 3 years in prison in July 2016,[51] disqualifying him from running in the presidential election.

[52] Jammeh, who had ruled for 22 years, first announced he would step down after losing the 2016 election before declaring the results void and calling for a new vote, sparking a constitutional crisis and leading to an invasion by an ECOWAS coalition.

[27] On 14 February 2017, The Gambia began the process of returning to its membership of the Commonwealth and formally presented its application to re-join to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018.

[57][58] On 28 February 2018, Jaha Dukureh, a women's rights activist was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in combating female genital mutilation.

The resulting series of straight lines and arcs gave the British control of areas about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north and south of The Gambia River.

However, in 1961, the British Governor chose UP leader Pierre Sarr N'Jie to serve as the country's first head of government, in the form of a Chief Minister.

[72] Both the PPP and NCP were ideologically similar, so in the 1980s a new opposition party emerged, in the form of the radical socialist People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS).

Furthermore, Jammeh made threats to the religious freedom of non-Muslims, used 'mercenary judges' to weaken the judiciary, and faced numerous accusations of election rigging.

Jammeh's initial agreement to step down followed by a change of mind induced a constitutional crisis that culminated in a military intervention by ECOWAS forces in January 2017.

[79] The Nigerian Centre for Democracy and Development describe the challenges facing Barrow as needing to restore "citizen's trust and confidence in the public sector".

Jammeh also created the role of Chief of the Defence Staff, who is the senior military officer responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Gambia Armed Forces.

[94] LGBT activity is illegal, and punishable with life imprisonment,[95] although the Barrow administration promised not to prosecute consenting same sex couples, it has also said it will not repeal the law.

The Daily Observer reporter Ebrima Manneh is believed by human rights organisations to have been arrested in July 2006 and secretly held in custody since then.

While urban migration, development projects, and modernisation are bringing more Gambians into contact with Western habits and values, indigenous forms of dress and celebration and the traditional emphasis on the extended family remain integral parts of everyday life.

The Mandinka ethnicity is the most numerous, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola/Karoninka, Serahule / Jahanka, Serers, Manjago, Bambara, Aku Marabou, Bainunka and others,[113] such as Tukulor.

Mandinka is spoken as a first language by 38% of the population, Pulaar by 21%, Wolof by 18%, Soninke by 9%, Jola by 4.5%, Serer by 2.4%, Manjak and Bainouk by 1.6% each, Guinean Creole by 1%, and English by 0.5%.

However, smaller Christian denominations are also present, including Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and small evangelical congregations.

[130] Europeans also figure prominently in Gambian history because the River Gambia is navigable deep into the continent, a geographic feature that made this area one of the most profitable sites for the slave trade from the 15th through the 17th centuries.

Senegalese yassa is also enjoyed widely; it features marinated fish or chicken seasoned with lemon, onions, and mustard, providing a sharp flavour that contrasts with the earthiness of many other dishes.

[133] Gambian cuisine usually includes peanuts, rice, fish, meat, onions, tomatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, egg plant, cabbage, chili peppers and oysters from the River Gambia.

Lenrie Peters is considered the founding father of this literature, whilst notable writers include Tijan Sallah, Nana Grey-Johnson and Mariama Khan.

A 2002 law created a commission with the power to issue licences and imprison journalists; in 2004, additional legislation allowed prison sentences for libel and slander and cancelled all print and broadcasting licenses, forcing media groups to re-register at five times the original cost.

[137] Reporters Without Borders has accused "President Yahya Jammeh's police state" of using murder, arson, unlawful arrest and death threats against journalists.

The Gambia won two CAF U-17 championships one in 2005 when the country hosted, and 2009 in Algeria automatically qualifying for FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru (2005) and Nigeria (2009) respectively.