Gambia

The Gambia is a narrow strip of territory along both banks of the river of the same name, and that riverine geography defines all its natural life. The river is navigable along much of its course and changes character as it goes: brackish and fringed with mangroves near the Atlantic, fresh and flanked by gallery forest and savannah upstream. Despite its minimal size, the country records around five hundred and seventy bird species, which has made it a classic destination for African birdwatching. The mangroves of the lower river hold the African manatee, crocodiles and a great diversity of kingfishers and herons. In the coastal forests of Abuko and inland, red colobus, green monkeys, spotted hyenas and warthogs survive, and hippopotamuses remain on the upper stretch of the river.