2019-04-24 Wed

The Gambia-officially the Republic of The Gambia celebrates its Republic Day on 24th April every year, since the proclamation of a republic in 1970.

The Gambia is a country in West Africa which takes its name from the Gambia River. Arab traders provided the first written accounts of the Gambia area in the ninth and tenth centuries. Till mid-1500, Gambia was Under the Islamic rule until the country was colonized by the Portuguese and then the British. Like all other colonies of the British, Gambia also was under the British Crown till World War II.

After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance. The Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth and became a republic till 1970. Prime Minister Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara assumed the office of President.

The Gambia Post issued a set of three stamps in the commemoration of the Republic. The stamps were issued with the denominations of 2 Gambian pennies, 1 Gambian shilling, and 1.6 Gambian shillings. The stamp specifications are as follows.

The 1 penny stamp shows “President Jawara and State House".
The stamp with the denomination of 1 shilling depicts the portrait of President Jawara.
The stamp with the higher denomination of 1.6 features President Jawara and National Flag.

The stamps are inscribed with the name of the country at the top and “Republic Day 24th April 1970” at the bottom along with the denomination value.

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