Banjul is Gambia largest and capital city. Banjul is located on the Island of St. Mary in the Gambia River. Founded by the British in 1816 to suppress the slave trade, it subsequently became the capital of the British colony of Gambia. With Gambia's independence in 1965, it became the national capital. Tourism is of increasing importance here, and Banjul serves as a transportation centre with connections to the interior and to Senegal.