Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!
Republic of The Gambia QRV in January and February
The Republic of The Gambia (C5) is scheduled to be active from January 28-February 7. Russell, G5XW, will be operating a holiday-style DXpedition from this West African country completely surrounded by Senegal, except for its Atlantic Ocean coastal border. You can try to make a QSO with G5XW, active as C5XW, on 40 through 17 meters. The Gambia ranked (as of December) as the 181st Most Wanted DXCC Entity in North America, according to ClubLog.
Why is Gambia referred to as “The Gambia”? The definitive article “The” was added to the country’s name on the request of prime minister Sir Dawda K. Jawara, who in March 1963 asked the United Nations to add “The” to distinguish the country from the newly named Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia). While “The” is often used in front of many countries (Congo, Sudan, Philippines, et. al.), The Gambia and The Bahamas are the only two countries that should officially be referred to in this way.
George, K3GP, customer/technical support specialist, collected a number of QSLs from The Gambia DXpeditions. 2007 C52C (40M SSB and 160M CW); 2003 C56TA (30M CW); and 2006 C56W (17M SSB). The C56W QSL card, which displays The Gambia flag on its front, reads:
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