The+English+Speaking+World

Our first task was to choose an English speaking country to study in depth. I chose Gambia.
The text we wrote contains the answeres to these three questions:
 * 1) Give a brief description of the country (//History: past and present & Geography: major cities, rivers mountains and other famous landmarks//).
 * 2) Point to similarities between the country you have chosen and Britain (//Government? Education?// //Traditions? Culture?)//.
 * 3) Explain why the country you have chosen is an English speaking country.

[[image:l.jpg]]
//The flag of Gambia and the National Coast of arms//

Gambia is the smallest country in Africa. This small country is 470 km long and surrounded by Senegal. The river, Gambia, which is 48 km long, flows through the country before it flows out in the Atlantic Ocean. This river is the main thing transportation for Gambia and the riverbanks are mostly made of swamp and mangrove thicket. Because of the location of the river, the country is very exposed for flooding. Gambia has a tropical climate with a rainy season during the summer. This rainy season lasts from June until October. Gambia has almost 350 sun-shining-days in the year. Deforest and desert formation does it hard to live in Gambia, and many people are getting ill because of the bad conditions of the drinking water. The capital in Gambia is Banjul, and its 35 districts around in the country. The number of the population is about 1,641,564, so you can see that it is about one quarter of the population in Norway. In the 12 century was Gambia a huge part of the Mali-kingdom, but when this got forced release took the local monarchies like Kombo, Barra and Fulladu the predominant. When the British and the Frenchmen came at the end of the 15 century they started with commercial business in the country. Then it was gold, ivory and slaves, which were the coveted goods. In the same century Gambia becomes a British protectorate after many years of foreign exchange from being under control of the British and the French, In 1965 was Gambia an independent state and was finally able to hoist up their red, white, green and blue flag. After the country had been a republic country in 1970, won Sir Dawda Jawara the first election and became the first president of Gambia. Sir Dwada Jawara was in the power until the large military coup in 1994. This not bloody group was a group of officers leaded by lieutenant Jammeh. In 1997 it became a transition to civilian government implemented and Jammeh won with 55.8% of the votes. Jammeh was also re-elected in 2001 where he received 53% of the votes. On the basis of that Gambia was a British protectorate until 1965; English is now the main language in Gambia. In Gambia is over 95% Muslims, 4% Christians (both Catholics and Protestants), and the remainders are adherents of local religions. //The President Jammeh.//
 * __Geography and environment:__**
 * __History and religion:__**

__**Economics and business:**__ The country has few nature sources, and only one sixth of the land is cultivable. But for all that, about 80% of the population is still employed in agriculture, and about 90% of the export is due to the cultivation of peanuts. Peanuts are the most important economic resource for Gambia. The country is therefore very vulnerable when there are fluctuations in the peanuts crop, which is caused by irregular rainfall and large drought. Tourist industry is also a significant part for the economy of the country. The president is now promoting a new-liberalistic economic politic, which has involved privatization of publican companies, discharge of governmental employees, and also deny subsidizing of the peanut growing. The result of that is that a huge part of the population in Gambia is becoming a much lower standard of living. The country has also a big transit trade to Senegal, which a lot allegedly to be smuggling.

There is much that is adapted to tourists in Gambia. Most of the people you meet are smiling, helpful and friendly, even if begging is a major activity in tourist areas. All the tourist areas have a nice café-life, with pleasant and attentive people. You can also take part in banana picking, go for a walk to the market, or take a visit to the crocodile pool. All this is an addition to many varieties of exciting excursions and a delicious beach life. On the beach, you can also get a massage.
 * __Tourism:__**

The best time to travel to this country is in winter, when the temperature is up to 30 degrees. It is possible to get westerly food in most of the tourist-hotels and restaurants, but you can also get a taste of all the delicious courses the country can offer. In Gambia you can be served man types of vegetables, rice and beans with a lot of different types of meat. Mango, bananas’, grapefruit and oranges are also delicacies, and can be purchased on the central marked places around in the country. In conditions to African standard it is many reasonable overnight accommodations in Gambia, and in the latest few years it has also been build many new hotels. //__Festival and holidays in Gambia:__// - New Years Day, 1. January. - Independent-day, 18. February. - The working people’s international day, 1. may. - Virgin Mary day, 15. August. - Christmas day, 25. December. - Ramadan (Ramadan is the Muslims Lent and started 1. September 2008. Next year it will start 10 days earlier, the year after that 10 days earlier, etc. Within this lent it is required that you do not eat, drink, smoke or have sex from sunrise to sunset.

__**School:**__ The school attendance in Gambia is free, but not mandatory. You start school when you're 7 years old, and then you go in 9 years. After this, there is a three-year secondary school. About 70% of the children are performing primary school, while only 29% of those children are continuing high school. In most schools they are teaching English, but also more local languages. There are 37 secondary schools in Gambia, and all except 3 is private.

//A traditional school building//

Britain is a monarchy and the Prime Minister has the executive authority, while in the Gambia it is republic and the president has the authority. Britain is one of the world's richest countries, while Gambia is a very poor country. 99% of all children in the United Kingdom has passed and the complete primary school, while in Gambia, it is only 70%.
 * __Likes and differences between the Gambia and the United Kingdom:__**

__**Conclution:**__ All in all Gambia is a very small country with many bad conditions, but also some good. It is a nice place for tourism and the people in the country are very kind and extrovert. So if you want to travel to å country with a lot of varieties of exciting excursions and a delicious beach life, you must visit Gambia.

media type="youtube" key="pmm0PkEC_0M" height="344" width="425" __//**Sources:**//__ http://www.snl.no/article.html?id=560616 http://www.ving.no/travelguide/travelGuideMain.aspx?&categoryid=1&travelguideid=65622&chapterid=1 http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambia