Area Code 5545 – Pakaliba

Overview of Gambia's Geographic Numbering Plan

The Republic of The Gambia, assigned the ITU-T E.164 country calling code +220, employs a fully integrated national numbering plan. Unlike many countries that use a trunk prefix (e.g., '0') and separate area codes, Gambia uses a closed numbering plan where all subscriber numbers, including geographic ones, are uniform in length and dialed identically from both domestic and international origins. Geographic numbers are identified by their first four digits, which constitute the National Destination Code (NDC) and designate a specific exchange area. The prefix 5545 is allocated to the Pakaliba region, a rural area located in the Lower River Division of The Gambia.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Context

Pakaliba is a settlement situated near the southern bank of the Gambia River, within the Kiang West District. The 5545 prefix serves the fixed-line telephone exchanges in this locality, connecting residential and business customers to the national PSTN. As with all Gambian geographic codes, the number range is administered by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and assigned to the incumbent operator, Gamtel, which provides landline services in rural areas. The region's economy is primarily agrarian, with local administrative offices, health centers, and small enterprises relying on these fixed lines for reliable communication.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

All Gambian subscriber numbers, including those under 5545, are exactly seven digits long. The complete national number for a Pakaliba fixed line is written as 5545XXX, where 'XXX' represents the unique subscriber line number. For example, a typical number might be 5545123.

• Domestic Calls (within The Gambia): Callers must dial the full seven-digit number: 5545123. No trunk prefix is required.
• International Calls (from abroad): Callers should dial the international access prefix (e.g., 00 from most countries, or + from mobile phones), followed by the Gambian country code 220, and then the full seven-digit number: +220 5545123.

There is no local dialing truncation; the same number format applies regardless of whether the caller is in the same exchange area or a different region of The Gambia.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there are no overlay codes in The Gambia; each geographic area retains its unique four-digit prefix. However, due to the limited capacity of seven-digit numbers, the country has implemented mobile number portability (MNP) for cellular services, but fixed-line numbers remain tied to their geographic exchange. As the country's telecommunications infrastructure evolves, VoIP and mobile services are increasingly used, but the 5545 prefix remains a reliable indicator of a fixed-line connection in the Pakaliba area. For international callers, it is essential to verify the correct number with the party being called, as misdialing the four-digit prefix can route the call to a different region.