The Gambia is a country in West Africa and is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal, except where it touches the Atlantic Ocean. It is named for the Gambia River, which flows through the center of the country. It was a Portuguese colony and then incorporated into the British Empire in 1765. European powers used The Gambia especially as part of the slave trade. The country achieved independence in 1965. The Gambia is one of two countries worldwide who uses “the” before its self-standing short name (the official name is The Republic of Gambia); the other country is The Bahamas.