Janjanbureh
Encyclopedia
Gambia River
The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...
in eastern Gambia. It was formerly known as Georgetown and was the second largest in the country. It is now the capital of the Central River Division
Central River Division
Central River is the largest of the five administrative divisions of The Gambia. Its capital is Janjanbureh , on MacCarthy Island...
and is best known as home to Gambia's main prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. The Wassu stone circles lie 22km northwest of Lamin Koto, on the north bank across from Janjanbureh.
It is also noted for being the site of the first church in Gambia and the first high school, according to one expatriate who was born there.
The island is known locally as McCarthy Island, and is located in what used to be called McCarthy Island Division. The island is accessed by bridge from the south bank, and small boat ferries or government ferry on the north bank. In 1995, both the city of Georgetown and MacCarthy Island were renamed Janjanbureh respectively.
Janjanbureh is also the name of the district
Districts of the Gambia
The Gambia is subdivided into 37 districts. They are listed below, by region. -Banjul:*Banjul*Kanifing-Central River Division:*Fulladu West*Janjanbureh*Lower Saloum*Niamina Dankunku*Niamina East...
in which the town of Janjanbureh is located.