Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Gambia, The's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Gambia, The's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
The Gambia is a small, fragile country in West Africa. Stretching 450 km along the Gambia River, the country (all 10,689 km2 of it) is surrounded by Senegal, except for a 60-km Atlantic Ocean front. The country has a population of 2.4 million (2020). With 176 people per km2, it is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Most of the population (57%) is concentrated around urban and peri-urban centers. The country’s economy is supported by its agricultural, industrial, services, and tourism sectors.
The country is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change from increase in temperature, decrease in rainfall, and sea level rise. These effect the country’s key economic sector, such as the agriculture sector, which is dominated by extensive rain-fed agriculture, as well as the tourism sector.