Fajara is a coastal suburb of

Bakau Bakau is a town on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Gambia, Gambia, west of Gambia's capital city of Banjul. It is known for its botanical gardens, its crocodile pool ''Bakau Kachikally'' and for the beaches at Cape Point (Gambia), Cap ...

the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

. It is home to

Isatou Njie-Saidy Isatou Njie-Saidy (also spelt Aisatu N'Jie-Saidy; born 5 March 1952) is a The Gambia, Gambian politician. She was Vice President of the Gambia, as well as Minister of Women's Affairs (The Gambia), Secretary of State for Women's Affairs, from 20 Ma ...

, a former

Vice-President of The Gambia The vice president of the Republic of the Gambia is the second highest political position in the Gambia. The office was created in April 1970, with the passing of the republican Constitution of the Gambia following the 1970 Gambian republic re ...

; Patricia Aslup, a former US Ambassador; and was formerly the home town of the late Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, a former Prime Minister of The Gambia and the first

President of The Gambia The president of the Republic of the Gambia is the head of state and head of government of the Gambia. The president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the Politics of the Gambia, government of the Gambia and is the comma ...

. The Medical Research Council is located within a fenced complex on Atlantic Boulevard. There is also a large military camp in the area.

Tourism

Prior to the arrival of the first tourists in the 1960s the inhabitants' livelihoods revolved largely around fishing. Fajara is, however, becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination with around 20 hotel complexes on the beach and many more inland. Bertil Harding Highway is one of the town's main thoroughfares, named after the pioneering Swedish tourist who arrived in 1965.

Notable people

* Alieu Fadera *Sir

Dawda Jawara Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (16 May 1924 – 27 August 2019) was a Gambian politician who served as prime minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as the first President of The Gambia from 1970 to 1994, when he was overthrown by Yahya Jammeh. Jawa ...

* Julia Dolly Joiner *

* Mohamadou Sumareh * Malleh Sallah * Dr Saja Taal

Gallery

File:Fajara War Cemetery Gambia.jpg, Fajara War Cemetery

References

{{authority control Populated places in the Gambia Banjul