Banjul, (formerly Bathurst), population 42,407 (1993), is the capital of The Gambia. The city is located on St. Mary's Island where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. It is the only urban area in The Gambia and is the country's economic and administrative center.
As the 4th densest populated country in Africa, Gambia has more than one urban area. Beeswax, palm kernels and oil, and skins and hides are also shipped. Peanut processing is the chief industry. The city was founded by the British in 1816 as a trading post and a base for suppressing the slave trade.
