List of heads of state of the Gambia facts for kids

This article tells you about the heads of state of The Gambia, from when it became an independent country in 1965 until today. A head of state is the main leader of a country.

From 1965 to 1970, The Gambia was a Commonwealth realm. This meant its head of state was Queen Elizabeth II, who was also the Queen of the United Kingdom. She was represented in The Gambia by a Governor-General. In 1970, The Gambia became a republic within the Commonwealth. This meant the Queen and Governor-General were replaced by an elected President.

Monarchs of The Gambia (1965–1970)

During this time, the Queen was the head of state.

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

Governors-General

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 by the Queen based on advice from The Gambia's government.

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

Republic of The Gambia (1970–Present)

The Gambia became a republic in 1970. This means it has a President as its head of state, instead of a monarch.

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)

Under The Gambia's first republican constitution (rules), the President became the country's main leader. The President was chosen by the National Assembly for a five-year term. If the President's position became empty, the Vice-President would step in as acting President.

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

Military Rule (1994–1996)

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

No.	Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office			Political Party
			Took Office	Left Office	How Long
2		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 country's main leader. The people vote for the President, who serves a five-year term. If the President's position becomes empty, the Vice-President will act as President.

No.	Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Elected	Time in Office			Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office	How Long
(2)		Yahya Jammeh (born 1965)	1996 2001 2006< 2011	6 November 1996	19 January 2017	20 years, 76 days	APRC
3		Adama Barrow (born 1965)	2016 2021	19 January 2017	Still in Office	8 years, 171 days	Coalition 2016 (until 2019)
							NPP

Standards

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  Governor-General's flag

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  President's flag

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