List of heads of state of the Gambia facts for kids

This article tells you about the heads of state of The Gambia, a country in West Africa. It covers the leaders from when The Gambia became independent in 1965 until today.

From 1965 to 1970, The Gambia was a monarchy. This meant its head of state was Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom and other countries in the Commonwealth realms. The Queen had a special representative in The Gambia called a Governor-General. In 1970, The Gambia changed its constitution and became a republic. This meant the Queen and the Governor-General were replaced by an executive President.

Monarchy in The Gambia (1965–1970)

During this time, the person who would become Queen or King of The Gambia was decided in the same way as the succession to the British throne.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Time as Ruler			Royal Family	Prime Minister(s)
			Started Reign	Ended Reign	How Long
1	Queen Elizabeth II	Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)	18 February 1965	24 April 1970	5 years, 65 days	Windsor	Jawara

Governor-General's Role

The Governor-General was the Queen's representative in The Gambia. They carried out most of the Queen's duties. The Governor-General was chosen for an unlimited time, serving as long as the Queen wished.

When The Gambia gained independence, its Governor-General was chosen only by the Gambian government, not by the British government. The first Governor-General, Sir John Paul, was a temporary choice. He was replaced by Sir Farimang Mamadi Singateh. If the Governor-General's position was empty, the Chief Justice would temporarily take over.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office			Monarch	Prime Minister(s)
			Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office
1	Sir John Paul	Sir John Paul (1916–2004)	18 February 1965	9 February 1966	356 days	Elizabeth II	Jawara
2	Sir Farimang Singateh	Sir Farimang Singateh (1912–1977)	9 February 1966	24 April 1970	4 years, 74 days

Republic of The Gambia (1970–Present)

After 1970, The Gambia became a republic, and its leader was called the President.

Political Parties

     People's Progressive Party (PPP)      Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)      National People's Party (NPP)

Other Groups

     Military      Independent

First Republic (1970–1994)

The first constitution of the Republic of The Gambia was created in 1970. Under this constitution, the President became the head of state, replacing the monarch. The President was chosen by the National Assembly and served for five years. If the President's position became empty, the Vice-President would temporarily take over.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Elected	Time in Office			Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office
1	Sir Dawda Jawara	Sir Dawda Jawara (1924–2019)	1972 1977 1982 1987 1992	24 April 1970	22 July 1994 (Removed by a coup)	24 years, 89 days	PPP

Military Rule (1994–1996)

In 1994, Colonel Yahya Jammeh led a military takeover. He removed President Jawara and his government. All political parties and the Parliament were then closed down.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office			Political Party
			Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office
2	Colonel Yahya Jammeh	Colonel Yahya Jammeh (born 1965) Leader of the AFPRC	22 July 1994	6 November 1996	2 years, 107 days	Military

Second Republic (1996–Present)

Under The Gambia's current constitution, the President is the head of state. The President is chosen by the people in an election and serves for five years. If the President's position becomes empty, the Vice-President will temporarily take over.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Elected	Time in Office			Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office
(2)	Yahya Jammeh	Yahya Jammeh (born 1965)	1996 2001 2006 2011	6 November 1996	21 January 2017	20 years, 76 days	APRC
3	Adama Barrow	Adama Barrow (born 1965)	2016 2021	19 January 2017	Still in Office	8 years, 192 days	Coalition 2016 (until 2019)
							NPP

Timeline of Leaders Since 1970

Official Flags

• 

  This was the flag used by the Governor-General of The Gambia from 1965 to 1970.

• 

  This is the official flag of the President of The Gambia.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Jefes de Estado de Gambia para niños

• History of the Gambia
• Politics of the Gambia
• List of colonial governors of the Gambia
• Prime Minister of the Gambia