early life. He was born in the Alentejo
province in southwestern Portugal in
about 1460. His father, Estevao da
Gama, was the commander of a fortress
there. Vasco’s studies probably included
mathematics and navigation.
Voyages
In 1495 the Portuguese king asked da
Gama to lead an expedition eastward to
India. In da Gama’s time, Europeans
wanted many goods from the East, particularly
spices. Muslim traders controlled
the land routes to the East. The
Portuguese and Spanish monarchs knew
that if they could control another trade
route to the East, they would gain great
wealth and power. They were eager to
find a sea route to India. Another Portuguese
explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, had
earlier discovered that there was a passage
around the bottom of Africa called
the Cape of Good Hope. But he had not
made it to India.
Da Gama made three voyages to India.
On the first voyage, from 1497 to 1499,
he and his fleet reached Calicut, an
important trading center in southern
India. However, da Gama was unable to
make a trade agreement with the ruler of
the city. Da Gama returned to Portugal
with samples of spices and precious
stones.
On his second trip, in 1502–03, da
Gama returned to Calicut but also went
on to Cochin, where he made an agreement
with the ruler of that city. In 1524
da Gama was sent back to India as the
Portuguese viceroy, or governor. His task
was to improve the administration of the
Portuguese colony at Goa, on the west
coast of India. Da Gama reached Goa in
September 1524. He soon fell ill, possibly
because of overwork. Da Gama died
in Cochin on December 24, 1524.
On his first trip
to India, da
Gama
offended
Calicut’s ruler
by offering
him trade
goods of poor
quality.
Vasco da Gama
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Gama, Vasco da 83
Gambia, The
The Gambia is the smallest selfgoverning
country in Africa. It is located
on the continent’s west coast. The capital
is Banjul.
Geography
The Gambia is a narrow strip of land. It
is 295 miles (475 kilometers) long but
only 15 to 30 miles (24 to 48 kilometers)
wide. Except for a short coastline
on the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is
surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia
River flows westward through the country
into the Atlantic. The Gambia has
warm weather and a long dry season.
Plants and Animals
Savanna, or grassland with scattered
trees, covers most of the country. Mangroves,
oil palms, cedars, mahogany
trees, and rubber vines grow near the
river. The Gambia is home to leopards,
wild boars, monkeys, antelope, crocodiles,
and hippopotamuses.
People
The Malinke (or Mandingo) people
make up more than one third of the
population. The Fulani, theWolof, the
Diola, and the Soninke are other important
ethnic groups. The official language
is English, butWolof and Mandingo are
widely spoken. Nearly all the people are
Muslims. Most people live in rural areas.
Economy
The majority of Gambians are farmers
who grow food for themselves. Crops
include millet, peanuts, rice, corn, sorghum,
and vegetables. The Gambia’s
most important export is peanuts. Tourism
and shipping also contribute greatly
to the economy.
History
The Malinke and theWolof developed
kingdoms in the region before the Portuguese
arrived in the mid-1400s. Great
Britain took control in the late 1700s.
The region was a major source of slaves
until the early 1800s.
The Gambia gained independence in
1965. From 1982 to 1989 The Gambia
and Senegal were united as the confederation
of Senegambia. In 1994 the military
overthrew The Gambia’s
government, but presidential elections
resumed two years later.
..More to explore
Banjul • Senegal
Facts About
THE GAMBIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
1,754,000
Area
4,127 sq mi
(10,689 sq km)
Capital
Banjul
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Kanifing,
Brikama, Banjul
84 Gambia, The BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Gandhi, Indira
As a child Indira Gandhi had an interest
in politics. These early years foretold her
future. As an adult Gandhi became the
prime minister, or leader, of India.
Early Life
Indira Nehru was born on November
19, 1917, in Allahabad, India. At that
time Great Britain ruled India. Many
Indians disliked this rule by outsiders
and fought against it. They created a
political party called the Indian National
Congress.
Children also joined the fight for independence.
They formed their own organization:
the Monkey Brigade. At only
12 years old Indira became the leader of
the Monkey Brigade. As she grew up
Indira stayed active in politics. She
joined the Indian National Congress.
She married Feroze Gandhi, a journalist,
in 1942.
Career
In 1947 India won independence from
Great Britain. Indira Gandhi’s father,
Jawaharlal Nehru, became prime minister.
Gandhi worked closely with her
father. She became president of the
Indian National Congress in 1959.
In 1967 Gandhi was elected prime minister
of India. She served until 1977,
when she lost a national election. But in
1980 she became prime minister again.
By that time some followers of the Sikh
religion had begun to fight for complete
independence from the Indian government.
Gandhi considered these Sikhs
terrorists. In June 1984 she ordered an
attack on the Golden Temple, the Sikhs’
