Kuntaur
Location of the Kuntaur Local Government Area
Location of the Kuntaur Local Government Area
Kuntaur is located in The Gambia
Kuntaur
Kuntaur
Location in the Gambia
Coordinates: 13°40′N 14°53′W / 13.667°N 14.883°W / 13.667; -14.883
CountryThe Gambia
Local Government AreaKuntaur
DistrictNiani

Kuntaur is a town located in central part of the Gambia.[1]

According to the 2013 census, there are 3074 inhabitants. The town is the seat of the Kuntaur Local Government Area in the district of Niani (the western half of the former Central River Division), which has a population of 98,966.[2]

Geography

Kuntaur lies on the north bank of the Gambia River, about three kilometres south of Wassu and 13 kilometres north of Janjanbureh. The North Bank Road, an important highway crosses Wassu, where the well-known Wassu stone circles are located.

Cultural sights

The Senegambian stone circles which are regarded as a place of worship among the Serer are not far from the area.[3]

Economy and infrastructure

Located about 248 kilometres from the river mouth to the Atlantic Ocean, the town is the last inland port that can be navigated by large commercial ships. This port is a major transit point for peanuts and peanut related products. The Gambia Produce Marketing Board has operated a peanut decorticating plant in Kuntaur since 1956 and is the town’s largest employer.[4]

Kuntaur has had a market since 1920, which stimulated trade and population growth.[5]

References

  1. ^ Johanson, Richard; Wilcox, Ryoko Tomita, (cont: Nathalie Lahire), Youth Employment and Skills Development in The Gambia, World Bank Publications (2011), p. 30, ISBN 9780821388112 [1]
  2. ^ "Distribution of Population by Gender and LGA". GBoS. 2017-09-20. Archived from the original on 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  3. ^ Meagher, Allen (pub), Historic sites of The Gambia. Ada Dinkiralu (Mandinka), Bereb-I-Chosan (Wolof), Tarica Tawal (Fula), Nannin (Jola), Soninke Ada (Serehuli), I-Mofan Chosan (Serer). An official guide to the monuments and sites of The Gambia. National Council for Arts and Culture, Banjul The Gambia (1998), p.15-16, OCLC 67789910
  4. ^ "Kuntaur". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  5. ^ Fanneh, Malang. “THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF BRITISH INVOLVEMENT IN LEGUME AND GRAINS TRADE IN THE GAMBIA, 1830-1965.” Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, vol. 29, 2020, pp. 181. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48636361. Accessed 9 June 2023.

13°40′N 14°53′W / 13.667°N 14.883°W / 13.667; -14.883

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