RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR THE EVOLUTION OF SETTLEMENTS IN THE GAMBIA
Introduction
The primary
interest of geography is the study of interrelationships between people and
their habitats. In a regional setting, the habitat comprises not merely the
territory of the settlements but also the spatial linkages between the
settlements in a region. Settlements are products of humans and environment
interacting in a heuristic process of adaptation and response[1].
The net result is a highly variable and complex matrix of human and
environmental attributes which are in a constant process of change. This aspect
of change links geography with history in exploring the past and the present
aspects of settlements.
The settlement pattern forms the basis of
any cultural landscape; therefore, it is important to trace the evolution of
settlements in the Gambia for better appreciation of the country’s cultural
landscape. The present landscape had been evolving from the time of the arrival
of the first settlers[2]
and its study from a historical geographical viewpoint allows the contribution
of each stage in its evolution to be illustrated. Before colonial rule,
the Soninke- Marabout wars dictated settlement pattern in many parts of the
country as villagers were scattered or relocated by the wars. During the
colonial period the rural settlements were reoriented for security and
administrative control as the same people were separated by new boundaries. In
the post colonial period, improved communication, a more diversified economy,
and less traditional conservatism influence rural settlement patterns.
The Research Objective and methodology
Rural
settlements in the Gambia are characterized by illiteracy, traditionalism, and
an agricultural economy. Consequently,
much of the information about the settlements origin and evolution is in the
oral form. Thus, this study aims at carrying out a historical geographical
review of settlement evolution from pre-colonial rule to the present, to
provide a better understanding of rural life for government policy formulation
purposes and to promote
our understanding of rural society in the past.
This study seeks to explore the origin and evolution of
settlements in the Gambia. The study will be organised into three sections,
each of which is based upon particular forms of evidence. Thus, the first part
will utilize oral historical accounts, place name and other forms of evidence to
establish settlement patterns in the pre-colonial period. The second part makes
a detailed study of the colonial period records, and the final part uses a wide
range of documents to chart the post-colonial progress of settlement
colonization, settlement initiation and expansion.
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