The Gambia Colony and Protectorate was part of the British Empire in the New Imperialism era. The colony was the immediate area surrounding Bathurst, and the protectorate the inland territory situated around the Gambia River, which was declared in 1894. The foundation of the colony was Fort James and Bathurst, where British presence was established in 1815 and 1816, respectively. For various periods in its existence it was subordinate to the Sierra Leone colony, however by 1888 it was a colony in its own right with a permanently appointed Governor.