How An African River Became Its Own Country (The Gambia)

[@General.Knowledge]

*What's another country with strange looking borders?*

[@mariusztyranski5845]

Lesotho, please :) Its existence as a landlocked enclave within South Africa is even more strange than that of The Gambia. And it is only one landlocked country with visible borders from satellite photos.

[@schs1977]

San Marino, Andorra and Liechtenstein.....why do they exist?

[@tomwinch9107]

Luxembourg is a country that despite changes around it (I'm thinking the Alsace region) has kept pretty consistent borders for quite a long time (and narrowest is indeed a word ... as is thinnest, which might describe Chile, being narrow and 'vertically' aligned ...)

[@JamesStewart-lx5wb]

Croatia's shape and borders are very weird. The country looks like a boomerang. But the reason for that shape is because of war. That's it. That's literally the only reason Croatia has the weirdest country shape in Europe.

[@rebwaters]

Me seconds Croatia too. We all know it's due to the region's ethnolinguistic mess, but heck it would be a really nice video to explore and flesh out

[@SalieuMJallow]

Proud to be a Gambian 🇬🇲 🇬🇲

[@Offbeat-Cloak9]

Yeah, let's be proud of ourselves 😅

[@lemonslice1733]

Don't you mean The Gambian

[@bakarybojang6000]

⁠@@lemonslice1733it is a Gambian not The Gambian

[@fatouceesay6794]

The smiling coast of Africa 🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@MaxwellBenzproduction]

@@fatouceesay6794our own smiling coast to the Globe 🌎🇬🇲🙏🏽

[@geoforamorio]

I knew the history of Gambia and have read how it established, close to the Gambia river. I think it's the best place to visit in the West Africa, right now!

[@sefojobe9168]

❤

[@Pierre1502]

Watching from the Gambia

[@f4bertaleixo]

Hello Gambian!

[@theamazingreptar]

@@Pierre1502 are you Gambian or visiting The Gambia?

[@Pierre1502]

@@theamazingreptar i am visiting from Norway 🇳🇴

[@theamazingreptar]

@@f4bertaleixo someone made a racist assumption 🙈

[@zephawisher]

​@@theamazingreptar it's not racist... It's valid..

[@kroosbah3812]

Hello 👋 from the Gambia 🇬🇲, nice video btw!

[@Offbeat-Cloak9]

Same!!!!

[@yarbom360]

I am a Gambian 🇬🇲 and I appreciate your content ❤🎉❤❤

[@nocta.8783]

What's your relationship with Senegal ?

[@CathrineHoover]

Senegal and Gambia where actually one country or pple but because of the French and British we were separated because the British wanted the river side for because the slave trade at that time and I guess the French wanted more of the Land and then we where separated That’s why Senegalese official language is French and Gambian pple official language is English

[@yarbom360]

@ we’re all one family

[@CathrineHoover]

@@yarbom360 Yh we are

[@AbdoulieSarr-oj4rx]

Watching from The Gambia 🇬🇲

[@pierre-lucmarion77]

Australia and New Zealand are constitutional monarchies with the British monarch as head of state and a Governor General to represent him, like in Canada.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Close but technically incorrect. The position of the Monarch of Australia is a different title to that of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. Australia could, theoretically, alter its law so someone else held that title without needing British approval.

[@Yassin_Sonko]

Watching from The Gambia 🇬🇲 ❤

[@rexcolt9742]

Because the british

[@ryansteele2677]

Usually a good bet for the answer to any historical question lol

[@caro.caro.9578]

You can say that again...!

[@General.Knowledge]

Pretty much!

[@jack8580]

The answer to most modern problems

[@togerboy5396]

@@General.Knowledge Youre Portuguese right? Do you love Britain too? 🥺

[@boysafe5818]

Our homeland 🎉 The smiling coast of Africa ❤😊🇬🇲 we have the most beautiful flag in the world

[@melaninqueen5945]

A proud Gambian here. Thank you for this video.

[@isaaccastillo5080]

2:54 technically also El Salvador, although the article is in Spanish

[@brambrooijmans7248]

How about the Netherlands?

[@gabriela.7422]

​@@brambrooijmans7248 and the United States of America?

[@pedrofr1434]

There are more in Spanish, El Líbano and La India for example

[@nguyenlamanh2919]

And the Philippine

[@EthanAndresSuarezBello-hc4yb]

@@pedrofr1434 And "El Perú" is also commonly used despite not being the oficial name

[@bubasuso6477]

Thank you for reminding us of history ⛓️‍💥🙌🏿🇬🇲✌🏿🫶🏿

[@saulalvarez220]

A country that I would like you to do is Lesotho. Why is it surrounded by South Africa, and why isn't it a Providence of South Africa?

[@SenhorKoringa]

Britain conquered the dutch territories around it but not actual Lesotho because kesotho is just mountains and has no colonial market value, no cash-crops farmland or anything worth dealing with the hassle

[@daerdevvyl4314]

*province, not providence. Same thing with Canada. We have provinces, not providences.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Yes, it is easy to research. Truth told by earlier poster.

[@anggakaruniawan]

​@@daerdevvyl4314um.. why are you mad, it's just a typo

[@AutieTortie]

​@@anggakaruniawanHow do you know?! Maybe the guy seriously thinks the correct term is "providence". Ignorance should be pointed out and corrected, not just ignored and accepted.

[@Servant78]

Perfect bro keep it up, very interesting video for the smiling coast of the Gambia

[@andrewjackson8421]

I appreciate your videos. Your voice is very soothing and I always feel that I learn something new. I also really love your accent. Thank you, and keep up the good work.

[@shawolzen4893]

You like sticks?

[@bruhvibes5941]

just say you think he’s sexy

[@arjaygee]

"Narrowest" and "most narrow" are both accepted superlative forms of "narrow." The Gambia was in the same boat as Australia and New Zealand _before_ the 1970 referendum. All three were Commonwealth Realms whose head of state was the British monarch. After the 1970 referendum, The Gambia ceased to be a Commonwealth Realm, as it had its own head of state. However, it has mostly remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations (different from Commonwealth Realms) except for the period from 2013-2018 (as you noted).

[@Trench_kid240]

That’s my country the Gambia 🇬🇲 the smiling coast of Africa your video is amazing

[@mariajoaoferrazdeabreu150]

Great video. Keep up the good work

[@mintou1977]

I’m glad you mentioned WWII because many African countries fought in and don’t get the recognition my Grandfather fought in the war and lost of his arm.

[@MaffuJammeh-yh9ur]

Watching from the Gambia We did this topic in schools in the gambia

[@DemboDrammeh-d1g]

I’m from Gambia 🇬🇲 da smiling Cost Of Africa proud Gambian ❤

[@k.c1126]

So cool that The Bahamas was mentioned... And I didn't realize that these two countries are the only ones who have the definite article as part of their name!

[@ferretyluv]

The Netherlands The Philippines

[@fabiansaah6482]

El Salvador

[@k.c1126]

@@ferretyluv See, this fits my instinct... But I wonder if either of these have mandated the inclusion of The as a part of their official name...

[@k.c1126]

@@fabiansaah6482 this works.

[@becnal]

The United States.

[@Njoofene]

I do not call myself Gambian or Senegalese. I call myself Senegambian. I want both nations to unite.

[@son3472]

Thank you. You earned yourself a new subscriber. You experienced the best of both worlds in our beloved motherland. The most peaceful and peace loving people on earth.

[@Pap-g8u]

Not just from Gambia 🇬🇲 but doing fishing 😅 inside the river where you can see historical islands in the river some:kunta kinteh, James island

[@HamatBah-y9s]

We love your video from The Gambia 🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@sulaymansanneh2894]

Watching from the Gambia

[@DialloAlfa-h4j]

Amazingly detailed and well-considered explanation of my nation The history of the Gambia. which I had never heard of in school.

[@iannjari6833]

The Commonwealth of Nations has 3 kinds of states and British territories: 1. Fully fledged republics where the head of state is mostly likely a president - Think of Kenya, India or Egypt. The Gambia falls in this category. These countries would have fallen in the second category at some point between being colonies and being republics. 2. Commonwealth Realms - They're are countries that rule themselves but the British Monarch is the head of state. Australia, Canada, Tuvalu, NZ, Jamaica. 3. The UK. 4. British Territories like The Caymans where the UK Parliament and Privy Council have legislative and judicial power respectively although the territories have some broad legislative autonomy.

[@WandazMakalo]

A born and brought up citizen of The Gambia, we never allowed Gambia to join a confederation with Senegal despite we are one of the poorest country in the world, True we are neighbours but we can’t join together because the colonial masters make us hatred to each other, is sad because we speak the same language, we share the same culture we eat the same type of food. That simply stands that we are the same people. The pain we will never forget, Senegal stand for us in several difficult moments like wise we stand for them in several difficult situations, yet still the truth is that we can’t never join together because we are made to speak different officials language. There are more and more reasons why this two countries can’t form a confederation a born Gambian know why and we keep it real. We urge you to respect our dignity. The Gambia 🇬🇲

[@tng2057]

You did not mention the slave trade. Note that the successful 80s US TV series Roots was based on a Gambia young man got abducted and sent to the US as a slave together with many others through the Gambia a major slave centre at the time, and his supposedly name Kunta Kinte is still used as the name of an island in the Gambia.

[@bmjv77]

Roots came out in the 70s.

[@stephentaylor2119]

It was totally made up, Alex Hailey later admitted to it.

[@tng2057]

@ Hailey did admit that his story was made up. However The Gambia area had undeniably been a slave trade center and according to international researchers including The Gambia local ones there was indeed a young man resembled that of Kunta Kinte hence ‘he’ was adopted by The Gambia as a symbol of a slave trade victims.

[@IdaJammeh-f6h]

Hi😅 I’m not an expert but what I’ve learnt from school about the origin of our country’s name is by this word “KAMBIA” which translates to Kambi’s place, or settlement. When the first explorers came, they went to a settlement and asked who’s living there en there is where the name came from.

[@Ibraishim544]

Facts its kambiya

[@IdaJammeh-f6h]

@ here I was thinking I was alone in this, this is the second video I came across in 2weeks saying the same thing 😭

[@HahnJames]

Great video! It was very educational. I always enjoy learning new things.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

You missed the key factor in why Senegambia failed - the English and French bureaucratic systems are incompatible. All Senegal wanted was a uniform system but that couldn't happen.

[@HaddyNjie-uh6rd]

I'm Gambian, I appreciate your content.

[@TahirJagne]

Love my country so much❤🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@apatsa_basiteni]

Looks like an interesting country.

[@FafaGaye-bm8jq]

You got my subscription because of this video 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉❤❤❤

[@blxvkpxndx]

I’m very happy you started showing your face. ❤

[@hikodzu]

Imagine the river shift so much it went out from their border lol

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

I hadn't thought of that possibility? What about ocean level rising?

[@muosse1774]

I'm a 🇬🇲 and I feel Gmb and Senegal 🇸🇳 should be one because we are one people the same languages speaking both countries so-called i wish one day they be may be one

[@jrd1982]

The Gambia's borders are not based on cannonballs, but rather on an agreement between France and the United Kingdom in 1889. However, there is a story that the borders are based on the range of British naval cannon at the time, and that the British claimed the land within cannon range. While there is no historical evidence to support this story, the country's shape is a result of conflict between the two colonizing powers.

[@bubasuso6477]

I’m a proud Gambian 🇬🇲 Watching from German 🇩🇪

[@BakaryBajo-t6v]

The Gambia our home land 🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@HawaJatta-g2s]

I'm a gambian alima Camara proud mandinka

[@XcaanModoulamin]

We appreciate your content love it good work

[@adamabaldeh776]

Am from The Gambia 🇬🇲 and I agreed whatever he said.

[@davidmccolgan6972]

Thanks for a great video I found it really interesting

[@johnhemphill1938]

Another country that is odd in its existence is Andorra

[@fatoumatakeita1891]

Proud to be a Gambian 🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@aishaceesay5649]

Watching from the Gambia

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Is this the first time that we see "General Knowledge" in person? 🤔😁♥️

[@dilawor10]

Thank you for the history knowledge

[@nichtbekanntnein]

2:53 what about The Netherlands and El Salvador?

[@KingAlton9403]

2:24 Damn, that building looks sick!

[@General.Knowledge]

It's very cool!

[@alantucker1550]

Thank you

[@abliebojang8825]

That’s The Gambia’s National Assembly building

[@personifiedmarvel]

Yeah, it almost looks alien / brazilian.

[@davidreichert9392]

A rare case where you did not have the correct fact (but you did ask for a fact check, so, respect to you). Australia and New Zealand are not republics. They, along with 12 other countries (incl. Canada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea etc.) continue to have the same person as the United Kingdom for their monarch (but not the Monarch of the UK, but rather the Monarch of Australia, Monarch of New Zealand etc), represented locally by a Governor General. These 14 countries, along with the UK itself are known as Commonwealth Realms. The other countries of the Commonwealth I believe are all republics (if any aren't they have an entirely different monarchy) Then there are the British Overseas Territories, but that's a whole other topic. I hope this helps. On a different topic: "Narrowest" is indeed a proper word

[@moratoryrobin33]

wdym monarch of australia and monarch of new zealand, our head of state is the UK monarch

[@davidreichert9392]

@@moratoryrobin33 Only if you live in the UK.

[@moratoryrobin33]

@@davidreichert9392 what? in australia and new zealand our head of state is still the british monarch, he doesn't just get a new term cause its a different country

[@davidreichert9392]

@@moratoryrobin33 I'm not going to ask you to take my word for it, instead I suggest you reach out to your MP or another government official in Australia or NZ, whichever in which you reside, and get confirmation either way.

[@boilingwateronthestove]

​​@@moratoryrobin33 Under Australian law the King is the King of Australia, not the UK. Also does it even matter? More than 70% of the people in Australia are ethnically British anyways. New Worlders often like to play the game of pretend as if their forefathers didn't come from Europe. The only ones who truly are allowed to criticize all of this are the Maori and the Aboriginals who you know, are actually are natives instead of a bunch of Europeans who live on the other side of the world because great grandfather John decided to move from Birmingham England to a British colony and steal natives their lands

[@thinkerpanda]

10:40 yes, narrowest is a word

[@gabrielgamez5398]

I would like to point out that while I’m sure it’s true about the article “The” in both the Bahamas and The Gambia El Salvador has the same situation only in Spanish

[@fodayjammeh7375]

Concise script!

[@cTc10691]

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has an article in its name too!

[@YeenMage]

@2:54 - The Philippines also uses a definite article?

[@oliversissonphone6143]

Union of the Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Maldives, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of the Congo...

[@TheMarineGamerIGGHQ]

Nope it doesn't. Not officially

[@davidhunt6508]

The United States of America

[@pieters542]

The Netherlands

[@9delta988]

Ah Kingdom of the Netherlands, Thank you for enlighting me.

[@siakastouray1068]

Mama Homeland. Am so proud to be a Gambian ❤❤❤

[@awajobe1520]

Love from the smiling 😊 coast The Gambia 🇬🇲

[@Brown-Dude47]

Petition for a video: Why Butan DOES NOT recognize so many countries?

[@user-jj278]

One of the most beautiful countries where its citizens excel wherever they are. We are beautiful in and out. If u haven't visited, please visit and discover our wonderful culture of food and clothing ❤

[@PolarBearTrainer333]

Interesting documentary based on historical facts, by the way Gambian and Senegal have the same ethnic groups and the same languages apart of the colonial languages.It took another military intervention of ECOWAS leaded by Senegal to stabilize it again after last elections.Nice country by the way.Culturally, historically and geographically tied with Senegal.

[@wizlon6757]

Both narrowest and most narrow are correct. :)

[@paintingdreams290]

from what we've been taught abt our legal framework, Australia is a constitutional monarchy w the British monarch as head of state

[@yustheGambian]

Gambian here

[@Saibou-g3x]

Heyy a gambian here 🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@kennethparris2068]

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and some smaller places are Commonwealth Realms with the British Sovereign as the titular head of state. The Sovereign is represented by a Governor General. The Gambia, Ghana, Barbados, and others are Commonwealth Republics with a president as head of state.

[@boyothapresident]

Gambia is small but Gambians isn’t small 💯 love The Gambia 🇬🇲

[@alt1f4]

Gee! Thats a cool thumbail, wonder If theres's another "River country" in africa i think thats so cool!!!!😊😊😊😊

[@palomoyo5896]

Possible The Gambia is the only one entirely lined with a river. Malawi on the other hand is shaped almost entirely around lake Malawi... almost half of it's vertical land mass is shaped around the lake it shares with Zambia

[@alt1f4]

@@palomoyo5896 i think you're missing one...

[@Crackelacker]

Which one? ​@@alt1f4

[@lazyboy300]

ah, tem um video bom sobre o país do canal history matters, incluindo uma alfinetada nos portugueses em 0:38 😅

[@JoseFerreira-vj3lq]

Na realidade essas "alfinetadas" (és brazuca, certo? Certo...😂) são mesmo picadas de alfinete e são-nos completamente indiferentes. Não há nada que possa mudar a História e ela é como é. Não se romantiza nem dramatiza a História. O que pode ser mudado é o presente, e atualmente no teu Brasil, os nativos continuam sem acecer aos recursos naturais incluindo o ouro extraído que é em muito maior quantidade do que foi no séc XVIII. Já os descendentes dos escravos, a grande maioria continua a viver na miséria. Aliás, os portugueses deram a independência ao Brasil, e os brasileiros continuaram com a escravatura e o seu tráfico. 200 anos depois o Brasil não consegue resolver a sua incompetência e culpa os portugueses por todos os males. Vá, agora faz queixa ao ministro do Lula 😂😂😂😂

[@carlwheezer1030]

With these new general knowledge videos it’s like that moment where squidward imagines squilliam naked

[@saffielemon3518]

A Gambian 🇬🇲 here

[@szbszig]

Although not necessarily part of the official name, the definitive article is still used in everyday speech for many countries, like the Netherlands, the Philippines, etc. Historically, it was used even frequently, see for example the Ukraine.

[@Musadem25]

My beautiful Gambia ❤😊

[@fatouceesay6794]

That's my beloved country The Gamble 🇬🇲🇬🇲🇬🇲 the smiling coast of Africa!

[@CanadaBricks]

You can basically sum up over 75% of colonial history with: "The British"

[@laminturay4876]

Do Sierra Leone next🇸🇱

[@user-jj278]

One of the most beautiful country where it's citizens excell

[@YUSUFB360]

A Gambian mbalax musician Musa Ngom 'Afia' (Yalna Yalla yoku leer ((RIP)) ) would wear 2 unmatched shoes saying he would do so until the Gambia and Senegal were unified. The Gambia reminds me of Djibouti 🤔

[@Camara22-l7t]

good job

[@jefppenamora4156]

The Philippines also uses the article in its name. :)

[@joshuafrimpong244]

You missed the soninke-marabout war

[@bakarybojang6000]

For the Gambian our homeland 🇬🇲 a proud Gambian wanna be friends

[@EbrimaSaho-vf1lh]

The Gambia 🇬🇲❤️

[@thekrzak]

Oh I went to The Gambia one year ago

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

Come back again lol

[@ferretyluv]

I still think it’s weird that if you’re going to make your country based around the river, why not go along the whole river? Why just stop at that one point? The fact that Senegambia failed is an indictment against Panafricanism. If it truly was only colonization that was the problem, then these same tribes should be able to put aside their differences. But because they were colonized by two different powers and so they speak different languages, that’s enough to let it fail.

[@windsurfer8824]

They still speak their native languages alongsides the colonial ones as first languages 🤡 😂. Its not homogeneous, that's why. I'm against pan Africanism, its idealic elorado wakanda nonsense. Trading with each other FIRST, yes.

[@JaffaJannu]

Here in Finland atleast some Moomin mugs are quite expensive collectables.

[@Gamrider]

I am a gambian here. Ask me anything??

[@allevuve]

I did not hear in this video wht the borders are so wierd

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

"Ask me anything" dude, you must be a god or something lol

[@Gamrider]

@@theemirofjaffa2266 what do u know about the gambia

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

@@Gamrider I'm gambian lol

[@Gamrider]

@theemirofjaffa2266 good for you.

[@fatalalchemy602]

I much prefer videos without cuts to you on camera. Better to fill it with more photos and animations imo.

[@bobb6130]

That’s my Home country ❤🇬🇲🇬🇲

[@herman6942]

Surely Chile is not the most narrow country. Countries like Luxembourg & Liechtenstein are much narrower, and that isn't even counting city states like Monaco or Singapore

[@lukasrentz3238]

The narrowness is its width compared to its length. Chile is much longer than wide than Liechtenstein or Luxembourg.

[@EngelKristine]

I think Vatican state wins

[@BBQPorkSandwich3]

@@EngelKristinethere is a difference between narrow and small Narrow is when one’s height or with is much smaller than it’s width or height

[@fabiansaah6482]

​@EngelKristine For small, yes - not for narrow.

[@uptothetime6348]

We are The Smiling Coast of Africa.❤🇬🇲

[@MmeDioufFABINETADiopCINEASTE]

The Lion : hmm what's that... is that a banana? i'll eat it☺ The Banana(Gambia) :NOO WAIT The Lion : *Eat* 25 yrs after ,the Gambia is the banana who been ate by the Senegal

[@futureking2333]

Thank God they didn't sell themselves to Senegal like British Cameroon sold itself to Cameroon.