Serekunda

Serekunda
City
Standard Chartered Bank
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center.
Bijilo Forest Park
Serekunda is located in The Gambia
Serekunda
Serekunda
Location in the Gambia
Coordinates: 13°26′42″N 16°40′30″W / 13.44500°N 16.67500°W / 13.44500; -16.67500
CountryGambia
DivisionKanifing
DistrictKanifing
Founded bySayerr Jobe
Named forSayerr Jobe
Population
 (2013)[1]
 • City
19,944
 • Urban
 (Kanifing Municipal Council)[2]
382,096
Time zone0 GMT

Serekunda or Serrekunda is the largest urban centre in The Gambia. It is situated close to the Atlantic coast, on the Gambia River, near the capital, Banjul. Serekunda and Banjul form an urban area known as the Kombos, with about half of the population of the Gambia.

Serekunda was named for Sayerr Jobe, who founded it in the 19th century. It merged with several villages into a larger urban area. Banjul's growth has been restricted due to being a small island, leading to Serekunda growing in population and businesses moving there from Banjul. Serekunda has been the site of political protests, and candidates from several parties have won seats. Since the 1980s, Serekunda has been a regional centre of the Tablighi Jamaat religious movement.

Serekunda's market is the largest in the country. Along the coast, the Senegambia Strip is a popular place for foreign tourists, including sex tourists. Gambian wrestling and football are popular sports.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference GBoS a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference GBoS b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).