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 The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra) 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. It is navigable ...

, in eastern

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

, in the Janjanbureh District. Located on the island is the second-largest town in the country,

Janjanbureh Janjanbureh or Jangjangbureh is a town, founded in 1832, on Janjanbureh Island, also known as MacCarthy Island, in the Gambia River in eastern Gambia. Until 1995, it was known as Georgetown and was the second largest town in the country. It is t ...

, but on many maps it still appears by its European name of Georgetown. In addition to being a destination for some wildlife tourists, the island is also the home of Gambia's largest

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

History

The island was first settled by Western traders in the 15th century, although by the 19th century it was no longer a viable trading post due to frequent wars between the Wulli and Niani tribes. The island was subsequently purchased by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

to use as a military garrison to help protect the traders. A treaty of

cession The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdict ...

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, although it was quickly populated by liberated Africans from elsewhere. The town gradually became an administrative and economic centre for the country.

References

External links

Tours to Janjanbureh Island

Janjanbureh Gambia River Central River Division River islands of the Gambia {{Gambia-geo-stub