River arteries are randomly scattered throughout the vast body of the Earth. They refresh and beautify the planet. Sometimes the rivers meander through the impenetrable jungle, and sometimes openly and boldly rush through wide meadows. The Gambia River is one of the African sights. It is along its channel that the country of the same name is located, stretching in a long four-hundred-kilometer strip in an effort to merge with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Unexplored Gambia
Among the desert west of Africa, the fertile Republic of the Gambia stands out nicely. This is one of the smallest states on the vast continent. The country is located on both sides of the river with the same name. The Gambia River carries its muddy waters to the Atlantic Ocean, where numerous tourists bask on its clean sandy beaches under the gentle African sun.
Savannahs covered with baobabs, mangrove and tropical forests - all this is Gambia. The river, the only one that completely crosses the country, is called the most winding in the world, and there are many nature reserves on its banks. The climate of the republic is the most favorable in comparison with other states of the region. The Gambia is dominated by sunny days, with two distinct seasons: dryand wet.
Hot namesakes
Both the country and the river Gambia, the description of which deserves special attention, have long become quite famous tourist sites. Tourists from all over Europe flock to the smallest African state, but the reason for this is not only the beaches and museums of the Gambia. Many want to see the uncombed primordial nature of the sultry continent. To do this, you need to head to where the Gambia flows in a valley blown by warm winds for thousands of years.
The river is repeatedly mentioned in ancient documents: travelers who visited these blessed lands often rafted along it. The water artery is quite long - its length is about 1100 kilometers. The width of the river varies on average from 16 kilometers at the mouth to 200 meters. The depth of the Gambia in some places reaches 8 meters. Near Banjul, the capital of the smallest African country, there is a ferry on the river. Several hundred kilometers of the Gambia, at the end of its course, are navigable.
Back to the roots
The meandering Gambia River, whose source is located in neighboring Guinea, is of considerable importance not only as a transport and fishing artery. Among other things, it performs irrigation functions. The reservoir originates on the picturesque Guinean plateau Futa Dzhallon. This high- altitude stepped formation feeds several large African rivers, so it is dotted with majestic waterfalls and gorges. The locals called the legendary plateau the "river father", since the Gambia River, Senegal, and Niger originate preciselyhere.
You can personally see the source that gives birth to African rivers by hiking on the plateau, which is a rather difficult task. But in hotels located around this picturesque place, excursions are organized for tourists and a guide from local residents is provided.
Carry me river…
The Gambia River, the photo of which takes the viewer to mysterious Africa, although it is the only vast body of water in the country, flows through the territory of two more states: Guinea and Senegal. In the vastness of the latter state, only two rivers, except for the Gambia, have a constant flow. These are Casamance and Senegal. Accordingly, one can draw an unambiguous conclusion about the importance of the Gambia River in both countries.
If you sail along it from the capital of the Gambia, you can see a changing landscape: from mangrove forests and steep cliffs to high meadow grass. In addition, the coast of the Gambia is an ornithologist's paradise. It will not surprise anyone if a tourist notices a gloomy, businesslike baboon or a phlegmatic hippopotamus. The picturesque picture is complemented by crocodile teeth that are constantly visible from the water: The Gambia is a river that is overflowing with these amphibians. Unfortunately, in recent years, such animals have become less and less, so you can admire them mainly in nature reserves.
Mode moments
To fully characterize such a water body, a few words should be said about changes in its state over a certain amount of time.
From this point of viewThe Gambia is a river whose flood regime and water temperature characterize it as a relatively predictable body of water. For example, floods occur from July to October, and as for the tides, the risk and areas of their occurrence are also stable - they penetrate one and a half hundred kilometers inland from the mouth of the river. Frequent flooding of the Lower Valley (the region where the Gambia River and tributaries are located) has led to the fact that constantly moistened soils have acquired a swampy character.
At the beginning of the current, the Gambia is capricious and rapids, and then calmly winds through grassy meadows. Before sinking into the hospitable waters of the Atlantic, the river spills into a wide estuary. With the onset of floods, the Gambia with tributaries expands over a territory of up to 2 thousand km₂, which is 18% of the total area of the country.
Reserved places or a walk along the river
The Gambia is a mostly calm river, and the natural landscapes surrounding it are filled with the humid breath of the jungle, the dry wind of the savannah and mountain air. There is no cold here, and the temperature even in winter does not fall below 25⁰. In the late 70s of the last century, the National Park of the same name was founded on the left bank of the Gambia. Its territory is about 600 hectares. This place, overgrown with tropical forests, has become a refuge for huge, but defenseless hippos in front of humans. Chimpanzees, baboons, aardvarks and antelopes successfully breed here. The Gambia River Park includes several islands and smoothly transitions into a forest reserve called Kiang West.
IslandsThe parks have mostly flat relief and swampy soils. The Gambia River Reserve is categorically not happy with tourists: only scientists are allowed to enter it and only by prior agreement with the directorate. It is located far enough from the capital: three hundred kilometers, although to see its beauty, you can go a longer way.
Recently, a program for the protection and breeding of chimpanzees was launched in the reserve. Non-governmental organizations and state structures are taking part in this noble and useful work.
Among other things, in the western Gambia there is a river reserve containing a huge number of birds, many of which also nest there. The park is called Tanji.
The Gambia and its tributaries
There is one more reserved place in the country, where the Gambia also bears its waters. The river, whose tributaries are extremely few, still has a small branch in its basin. These are the tributaries of Bao and Bolong. They are located in a beautiful nature reserve with the same name. Bao Bolong Park is spread over an area of 100 kilometers and includes unique wetlands. Birds live comfortably here and colorful mangrove trees thrive. The highlight of the park flora are wild mango trees.
This relatively young reserve, founded in 1996, has excellent roads and a fairly developed infrastructure, since there are several dozen small settlements nearby.
Features of African rivers
Every river onblack continent is unique. It is noteworthy that African rivers are quite young. In ancient times, Africa was much richer in water resources. Scientists believe that many freshwater lakes covered its expanses, and the Sahara Sea occupied part of the arid Sahara. Later, when the relief began to change under the influence of various natural causes, the rivers began to change the beaten path from ancient times. It is because of the imposition of new river channels on those marked by old rivers that African reservoirs have a rapid structure.
In addition to the Gambia River, nearby countries cross famous rivers such as the Niger and Senegal.
Guarded Island
In the vastness of a modest African river, there is another famous landmark, which is taken under the protection of UNESCO and is included in the world's conservation list.
James Island, located three dozen kilometers from the mouth of the Gambia River, Europeans discovered almost simultaneously with the country. Before the British strengthened on it, the Portuguese, then the Courlanders lived on the island. But at the end of the 17th century, the British finally settled on this piece of land, building a fort on it. For a long time, James Island was used by the colonialists as a port. History says that this piece of land was once tainted by the development of the slave trade on it.
Now this is a rather visited place, excursions are organized there to inspect the ruins of English fortifications. But the problem is that the island has been subject to erosion for a long time, as a result of which it has significantly decreased insizes.
People living by the river
There are many villages scattered along the Gambia, where people are engaged in agriculture. Such peoples as Mandigo and Serer live on these fertile lands. There are hereditary Fulbe cattle breeders and Sarakole artisans. The largest settlement on the river is the capital of the Republic of Banjul.
People living in the valley of the Gambia River, side by side with various amphibians (snakes, lizards), also a lot of birds live in these places. Unfortunately, animals such as hippos, antelopes or hyenas can only be found in protected areas. Educational work is regularly carried out with the population on the subject of the inadmissibility of the destruction of animals. But, given the total poverty of the African tribes, the conversations do not have the desired effect. Therefore, even in protected reserves, animals are not immune from extermination.
The Gambia River and the country on whose territory the reservoir is located, despite the low level of the economy of African countries, invariably attracts tourists from all over the world who want to immerse themselves in the primitive nature and learn the exotic customs of this tiny republic.
