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The Gambia
The Real St Lucia
The River Gambia
The country is named after the river which flows right through the middle of it. The river is 700 miles (1120km) long. There are no bridges crossing the river in The Gambia so North-South river crossings are provided by ferries at several places along the river. It is the only river in western Africa where ocean going ships can sail in it.
Where is its source? How many countries does it flow through?
The estuary is wide, busy and can have dangerous currents. Two ferries
cross during the daylight
There are mangrove swamps from the mouth of the river for about 60 miles (97km) inland
Then it is a mixture of freshwater swamps and salt flats.
The river provides a variety of fish for eating
The light soil and the annual flooding in the middle region make it
suitable for rice growing. The land on either side of the river is flat
but rises a little and provides good soil for growing peanuts
The landscape provides homes for many insects, animals, such as crocodile and baboons. The visitors did see a hippo but couldn't get a good picture! This is the best they took!
There are over 400 different birds. Many tourists come just to see them. Weaver bird nests were hanging everywhere