Banjul

Banjul

Banjul, which was called Bathurst until 1973, is the capital of The Gambia and an Atlantic port on Saint Mary's Island, near the mouth of the Gambia River. Banjul is named after the Mandinka people, who collected special fibers on the island that were used to make rope. Bang julo is the Mandinka word for rope fiber. The city was founded in 1816, when the British Colonial Office ordered Captain Alexander Grant to create a military station on the river to curb the slave trade and to serve as a trade channel for traders expelled from Senegal, which had been returned to France. The location chosen by Grant was Banjul Island, and renamed after Saint Mary. It became capital of Gambia, a British colony and protectorate, and was governed by a town council after 1947. Following the independence of The Gambia in 1965, the city was given urban status and became the country's national capital. Banjul is the commercial and transport hub of The Gambia. Today, tourism is becoming more and more important, relieving some of the urban unemployment problem and boosting handicraft industries such as woodcarving, filigree jewelry and hand-dyed clothes. The city's landmarks include the Gambian National Museum, the Albert Market, the Banjul State House, the Banjul Court House and the African Heritage Museum. The city's places of worship are predominantly Muslim mosques, but there are also Christian churches and temples. Such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banjul, Church of the Province of West Africa and Assemblies of God.