Senegal
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Country Profile

Capital City: Dakar

Other Cities: Diourbel, Kolda, Kaolack, Louga, Saint-Louis, Thies, Tambacounda, Ziguinchor.

Local Time: UTC +0h

Geography:
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.
Area: 196,840 sq. km. (76,000 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Flat or rising to foothills.
Border countries: The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania

Climate: Tropical/Sahelian desert or grasslands in the north, heavier vegetation in the south and southeast.

Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: April 4, 1960 (from France).

People:
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Senegalese (sing. and pl.)
Population (est. 1995): 9.7 million.
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43%; Pular (Fulani, Peulh) and Toucouleur 23%; Serer 15%; Diola (Jola) 3.7%, Mandingo (Mandinka) 3%, Soninke 1.1%, and others 19%.
Religions: Muslim 95%, Christian 4%, traditional 1%.
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diola, Mandingo, Soninke.
Literacy: 38%.

Business

Currency: CFA Franc BCEAO (XOF).

Natural resources: Fish, peanuts, phosphate, iron ore, gold, titanium.

Agriculture products: Peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Industries: Agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials.

Exports partners: India 13%, France 12.2%, Mali 9.5%, Italy 8.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.4%, Spain 5% (2003)

Imports partners: France 24.9%, Nigeria 12.2%, Thailand 6.7%, Spain 4.3% (2003)

Internet Links

Official Sites of Senegal

Senegal

Diplomatic Missions
Ambassade du Sénégal à Ottawa, Canada

Ambassade de la République du Sénégal à Paris

Weather
Direction Nationale de la Météorologie

Map
Political Map of Senegal

Introduction

Senegal

Background:  Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The
Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However,
the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out,
and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern
separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since
1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international
peacekeeping.

Geography Senegal

Location:  Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates:  14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references:  Africa

Area:  total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km

Area - comparative:  slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:  total: 2,640 km border countries: The Gambia 740 km,
Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline:  531 km

Maritime claims:  contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:  tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong
southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry,
harmattan wind

Terrain:  generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Elevation extremes:  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Natural resources:  fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use:  arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% other: 88% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:  710 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:  lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:  wildlife populations threatened by
poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification;
overfishing

Environment - international agreements:  party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note:  westernmost country on the African continent; The
Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

People Senegal

Population:  10,589,571 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:  0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,321,789; female 2,290,105)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 2,710,178; female 2,943,554) 65 years and over:
3.1% (male 159,445; female 164,500) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate:  2.91% (2002 est.)

Birth rate:  36.99 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate:  8.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate:  0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.97 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate:  55.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:   64.61 years (2002 est.)  male: Total fertility
rate:  5.03 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:  1.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:  95,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:  10,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:  noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese

Ethnic groups:  Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%,
Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Religions:  Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly
Roman Catholic)

Languages:  French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

Literacy:  definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 39.1% male: 51.1% female: 28.9% (2001 est.)

Government Senegal

Country name:   Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Government
type:  republic under multiparty democratic rule

Capital:  Dakar

Administrative divisions:  10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar,
Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies,
Ziguinchor note: there may be another region called Matam

Independence:  4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was
achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

National holiday:  Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution:  a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001

Legal system:  based on French civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits
the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:  chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1
April 2000) head of
 Prime Minister Madior BOYE (since 3 March 2001) cabinet:  with the
 president election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president;
percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS)
58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51% elections: president elected by popular
vote for a five-year term under new constitution; election last held
27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch:  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
(120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year
terms) elections:  percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10 note: the former National
Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats

Judicial branch:  Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final
Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note-the judicial system
was reformed in 1992

Political parties and leaders:  African Party for Democracy and Socialism
or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general];
African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of
Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or
CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor
Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and
Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC
[Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO];
National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic
Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor
DIENG]; SOPI Coalition (a coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE];
Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:  labor; Muslim brotherhoods;
students; teachers

International organization participation:  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH,
MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:  chief of mission: Ambassador
Mamadou Mansour SECK FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
 [1] (202) 234-0540 chancery:
Diplomatic representation from the US:  chief of mission: Ambassador
Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue
Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296,
823-7384 FAX: [221] 822-2991

Flag description:  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the
yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Senegal

Economy - overview:  In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and
ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international
donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's
currency, the CFA franc, which is linked at a fixed rate to the French
franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily
dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal
made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real
growth in GDP averaging 5% annually during 1995-2001. Annual inflation had
been pushed down to less than 1%, but rose to an estimated 3.3% in 2001.
Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a
member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal
is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external
tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating
a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now
accounts for 82% of GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated
urban problems of chronic unemployment, trade union militancy, juvenile
delinquency, and drug addiction.

GDP:  purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:  5.7% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:  purchasing power parity - $1,580 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:  agriculture: 18.5% industry: 20.7% services:
60.8% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:  54% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:  lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 42.8% (1991)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:  41.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):  3.3% (2001 est.)

Labor force:  NA

Labor force - by occupation:  agriculture 70%

Unemployment rate:  48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)

Budget:  revenues: $1.373 billion expenditures: $1.373 billion, including
capital expenditures of $357 million (2002 est.)

Industries:  agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining,
fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:  5.2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:  1.32 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source:  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:  1.228 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports:  0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports:  0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products:  peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton,
tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Exports:  $1 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Exports - commodities:  fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products,
phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners:  France 19%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 2%
(2000)

Imports:  $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Imports - commodities:  foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital
goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners:  France 27%, Nigeria 19%, Germany 4%, US 4%, Italy 3%
(2000)

Debt - external:  $3.1 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:  $362.6 million (2002 est.)

Currency:  Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:  XOF

Exchange rates:  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70
(1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the
XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Fiscal year:  calendar year

Communications Senegal

Telephones - main lines in use:  234,916 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:  373,965 (2001)

Telephone system:  general assessment: good system domestic: above-average
urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic
cable in trunk system international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:  AM 10, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:  1.24 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:  1 (1997)

Televisions:  361,000 (1997)

Internet country code:  .sn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):  15 (2002)

Internet users:  40,000 (2001)

Transportation Senegal

Railways:  total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km
double-tracked) (2001)

Highways:  total: 14,576 km paved: 4,271 km unpaved: 10,305 km (1996)

Waterways:  897 km note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the
Saloum river

Ports and harbors:  Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll,
Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor

Airports:  20 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:  total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m:
6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways:  total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to
1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Military Senegal

Military branches:  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National
Police (Surete Nationale)

Military manpower - military age:  18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability:  males age 15-49: 2,406,337 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:  males age 15-49: 1,257,423
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:  males: 114,189
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:  $68.6 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:  1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Senegal

Disputes - international:  Senegalese separatists disrupt legal border
trade with smuggling, cattle rustling, and other illegal activities
in Guinea-Bissau

Illicit drugs:  transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian
heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

News
L'Agence de Presse Sénégalaise

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Sud Online

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Festival de Jazz de Saint-Louis du Sénégal

Business & Economy
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Destination Senegal - Travel and Tour Guides

Ministère du Tourisme et des Transports Aériens du Sénégal

Senegal Ministry of Tourism

Au Sénégal

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Education
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