MacCarthy Island
Encyclopedia
MacCarthy Island, also known as Lemain Island or Janjanbureh Island, is an island located approximately 170 miles (272 km) upriver from the mouth of the Gambia River
, in eastern Gambia, in the Central River Division
. The town of Janjanbureh
on the island is the second largest in the country, though it still appears on many maps by its European name of Georgetown. In addition to being a destination for some wildlife tourists, it is also the home of Gambia's largest prison
.
tribes. The island was subsequently purchased by the British
to use as a military garrison
to help protect the traders. A treaty of cession
was signed in 1823 and the island was formally named MacCarthy Island (after Sir Charles MacCarthy
, former Governor General of the British West African Territories.) In 1832, Georgetown was founded by the British as a Creole
settlement, though it was quickly populated by liberated Africans from elsewhere. The town gradually became an administrative and economic centre for the country.
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, in 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...
. The town of Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh or Jangjangbureh is a town, founded in 1832, on Janjanbureh Island in the Gambia River 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 and is best known as home to Gambia's main prison...
on the island is the second largest in the country, though it still appears on many maps by its European name of Georgetown. In addition to being a destination for some wildlife tourists, it is also the home of Gambia's largest 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...
.
History
The island was first settled by Western traders in the 15th century, though by the 19th century it was no longer a viable trading post due to frequent wars between the Wulli and NianiNiani
Niani may refer to...* Niani District, along the banks of the River Gambia, in the Central River Division of The Gambia. Named after the Niani tribe of The Gambia.* Niani village, in north east Guinea....
tribes. The island was subsequently purchased by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
to use as a military garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
to help protect the traders. A treaty of cession
Cession
The act of Cession, or to cede, is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty...
was signed in 1823 and the island was formally named MacCarthy Island (after Sir Charles MacCarthy
Charles MacCarthy (governor)
Brigadier-General Sir Charles MacCarthy KCMG was an Irish-born soldier who served in the French, Dutch and British armies, and was a governor of various British territories in West Africa....
, former Governor General of the British West African Territories.) In 1832, Georgetown was founded by the British as a Creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
settlement, though it was quickly populated by liberated Africans from elsewhere. The town gradually became an administrative and economic centre for the country.