colony · Scandinavia and the Baltic

Courland Gambia

1651 CE – 1661 CE · capital Fort Jacob

Colony of the small Baltic Duchy of Courland on an island in the Gambia River, part of Duke Jacob Kettler's bold overseas venture.

Origins

Duke Jacob Kettler of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, who built a merchant fleet, acquired St Andrew's Island in the Gambia River from local rulers in 1651. His men built Fort Jacob on the island and trading posts on the river banks.

Rule and society

The colony was a small garrisoned trading station dealing in ivory, gold, beeswax, hides and enslaved people. It depended on supplies from Courland and on agreements with the kings of Kombo and Niumi. Its distance from Europe and the small size of Courland made it hard to sustain.

Decline and legacy

While Duke Jacob was held prisoner by the Swedes, the Dutch seized the fort in 1659, and in 1661 the English took it and renamed it James Island after the Duke of York. The island, now Kunta Kinteh Island, is a World Heritage Site in The Gambia.

Connections (1)

More states of Scandinavia and the Baltic →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Courland Gambia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/courland-gambia
MLA
“Courland Gambia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/courland-gambia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Courland Gambia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/courland-gambia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Courland Gambia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/courland-gambia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻