蜜芽传媒

Travel firm Thomas Cook is flying back hundreds of customers from package holidays in The Gambia after the Foreign Office advised "against all but essential travel to The Gambia due to ongoing political uncertainty and potential military intervention following the presidential elections".

The country is one of only two countries that can officially have 'the' attached to its name.

English language expert David Crystal explains why.

(Photo: A map showing The Gambia. Credit: iStock)