The Gambia, officially the Islamic Republic of The Gambia, formerly 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. Inextricably linked to the river Gambia, one of Africa's great waterways, The Gambia comprises a varied landscape, featuring sandy beaches, lush tropical forests, swamps, marshes and large areas of wooded savannah.