THE GAMBIA (Continued)
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; constitution came into force upon independence in 1965, new republican constitution adopted in April 1970; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: 18 February
Branches: Cabinet of 10 members; 44-member House of Representatives, in which four seats are reserved for chiefs, four are appointed, 35 are filled by election for five-year terms, a Speaker is elected by the House, and the Attorney General is an appointed member; independent judiciary
Government leader: Sir Alhaji Dawda Kairaba JAWARA, President
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party (PPP), Secretary General Dawda K. Jawara; United Party (UP), Pierre N'Jie; and National Convention Party (NCP), Sherrif Dibba (Dibba is to be tried for treason because of his complicity in the August 1980 coup attempt; the NCP may be disbanded)
Suffrage: universal adult
Elections: general elections held April 1977; PPP 31 seats, NCP 4 seats; next general elections scheduled for 1982
Communists: small underground group
Member of: AFBD, APC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMD, WTO
ECONOMY
GNP: $200 million (1980), about $333 per capita; real growth rate 2.8% (1980)
Agriculture: main crops—peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, palm kernels
Fishing: catch 17,446 metric tons (1979); exports $956,000 (1974)
Major industry: peanut processing
Electric power: 10,000 kW capacity (1980); 35 million kWh produced (1980), 57 kWh per capita
Exports: $27.4 million (1980); peanuts and peanut products, fish, and palm kernels
Imports: $141.2 million (1980); textiles, foodstuffs, tobacco, machinery, petroleum products
Major trade partners: exports—mainly EEC; imports—EEC
Aid: economic commitments—Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-79), $91.0 million; Communist countries (1974-79), $17 million; OPEC, ODA (1974-79), $36.0 million; US (FY70-79), $18.2 million
Budget: (1980-81) revenues $51.5 million, current expenditures $49.4 million, development expenditures $35.8 million
Monetary conversion rate: 1 Dalasi=US$0.716 (1981)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none
Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 400 km
Ports: 1 major (Banjul)
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airfields: 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: adequate network of radio relay and wire; 3,500 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 2 AM and no FM stations; no TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, 141,000; 71,000 fit for military service
Military budget: for fiscal year ending 30 June 1981, $2.4 million; 6.2% of central government budget; includes fire and police expenditures
