Which African capital was called Bathurst until 1973?

Which African capital was called Bathurst until 1973? The answer is Banjul.

Banjul stands on St. Mary’s Island at the mouth of the Gambia River. The British established the settlement in 1816 as a military and trading post intended to control river access and suppress the slave trade. They named it Bathurst after Henry Bathurst, the British secretary of state for the colonies.

Bathurst became the capital of the Gambia Protectorate in 1889 and developed into the centre of British colonial administration. Its port, government offices and wartime facilities attracted residents from across the region. The city also became an important centre for commerce and Muslim education.

After The Gambia gained independence in 1965, the city retained its colonial name for several years. In 1973, it was officially renamed Banjul, a name associated with the area’s Mandinka and Wolof heritage. A common mix-up is confusing Banjul with Serekunda: Banjul is the national capital, while Serekunda is the country’s largest urban area.