Barra, Gambia

Barra, traditionally known as Niumi, is a city in The Gambia, located in the district of Lower Niumi. The predominant languages of the city are Serer and Wolof.

Although Mandinka-speaking Africans always referred to the state along the north bank of the Gambia River's estuary as Niumi, not everyone did. For a long time it was called "Barra" in the creolized trade language of the river, and between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries British and French records use "Barra" or "Bar" more frequently than "Niumi".

The city of Barra has an "Al Kali" which is basically the village coordinator who keeps everything in order. The people of Barra go to the "Al Kali", leader of the village, with any requests. The former "Al Kali" of Barra, formally known as Kenbugul Faye, died in September 2014 due to natural causes. He was 92.

Ebrima Kenbugul Faye was the Al Kali of the city for over 5 years and has 28 children.

His son continues to uphold the family name by taking the place of his father. In early 2015, the city of Barra conducted elections for their new "Al Kali" with two candidates. The other candidate was of the Senghore family and was defeated. Alhagi Faye is now the Al Kali of Barra.

The Gambia

Coordinates: 13°28′N 16°34′W / 13.467°N 16.567°W / 13.467; -16.567

The Gambia (ⁱ/ˈɡæmbiə/, officially the Republic of the Gambia and often called simply Gambia) is a country in West Africa mostly surrounded by Senegal with a short strip of its coastline bordered with the Atlantic Ocean at its western end. It is the smallest country on mainland Africa.

The Gambia is situated on either side of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the centre of the Gambia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is 10,689 square kilometres (4,127 sq mi) with a population of 1,882,450 at the 15 April 2013 Census (provisional). Banjul is the Gambian capital, and the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama.

The Gambia shares historical roots with many other West African nations in the slave trade, which was the key factor in the placing and keeping of a colony on the Gambia River, first by the Portuguese, during which era it was A Gâmbia, and later, on 25 May 1765, the Gambia was made a part of the British colony when the government formally assumed control, establishing the Province of Senegambia. On 18 February 1965, the Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom. Since gaining independence, the Gambia has had two leaders – Dawda Jawara, who ruled from 1970 until 1994, when the current leader Yahya Jammeh seized power in a coup as a young army officer.

The Gambia (Commonwealth realm)

The Commonwealth realm of the Gambia was a predecessor to the modern-day republic of The Gambia and an independent state that existed between 1965 and 1970.

When British rule ended in 1965, Gambia was given independence as a Commonwealth realm. The British monarch, Elizabeth II, remained head of state of the Gambia, which shared its Sovereign with the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen's constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of the Gambia. The following governors-generals held office in the Gambia during this period:

The Gambia Independence Act 1964 unified the British Crown Colony and Protectorate of the Gambia into the independent sovereign constitutional monarchy of the Gambia. After two referenda on the issue, the monarchy was abolished on 24 April 1970, when the Gambia became a republic within the Commonwealth. The first referendum in 1965, with 65.85% in favour and 34.15 against, failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass. The second in 1970 with 70.45% percent of the Gambian people voting in favour of a republic and 29.55% against, was successful. The Gambia adopted a new constitution in 1970 which abolished the monarchy. The Republic of the Gambia came into existence on the 24 April 1970.

Barra

Barra (Scottish Gaelic: Barraigh, Eilean Bharraigh, pronounced [ˈparˠaj, ˈelan ˈvarˠaj]) is an island in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Barra is the second southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides after the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway. In 2011 the population was 1,174, almost 100 higher than the 1,078 counted at the time of the 2001 census.

Gaelic

According to the 2011 Census, there are 761 Gaelic speakers (62%) on Barra.

Geography

The area of Barra is roughly 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi), the main village being Castlebay (Bàgh a' Chaisteil).

The west of the island has white sandy beaches backed by shell-sand, machair and the east has numerous rocky inlets.

Kisimul Castle at Castlebay is located on a rock in the bay, so giving the village its name. A smaller castle can be found in the middle of Loch St Clare on the west side of the Island in Tangasdale.

The highest elevation on the island is Heaval, halfway up which is located a prominent white marble statue of the Madonna and Child, called "Our Lady of the Sea", which was erected during the (Marian year) of 1954. The predominant faith on the island is Catholicism and the Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady of the Sea is immediately apparent to all who arrive into Castlebay.

Barra (neighborhood)

Barra is a neighborhood located in the south zone of the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Barra is one of the most traditional neighborhoods of the city, and is also one of the most popular neighborhoods for tourists, with many attractions, like Farol da Barra Lighthouse, Morro do Cristo Hill, Farol da Barra Beach, and Porto da Barra Beach.

Barra has a large number of beaches, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, residences, fitness clubs, banks, parks, events, and historic monuments. The neighborhood is subdivided in the following areas: Jardim Brasil, Porto da Barra, Avenida Centenário, and Ladeira da Barra. The beach neighborhood closest to Pelourinho, which also has a lot of tourist infrastructure.

It is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the entrance to the All Saints Bay to the west. And in preserving its landscape a considerable body of historical and architectural value to Brazil, and the Lighthouse is the most famous icon, alongside the strengths of St. Mary and St. Diogo.

Barra (disambiguation)

Barra may refer to:

Places

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Places in South America: