Map of Senegal | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 196,190 km²
Land: 192,000 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries: total 2,640 km, 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
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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

Elevation

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 27%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 30%
Forest and woodland: 31%
Other: 12%

Irrigated land: 1,800 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal


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Population: 9,007,080 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 3.12% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Senegalese

Ethnic groups: Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%

Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo

Religions: Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (female 2,004,514; male 2,021,251)
15-64 years: 52% (female 2,398,609; male 2,301,236)
65 years and over: 3% (female 140,128; male 141,342) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.12% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 42.87 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 11.64 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Current issues natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 73.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.16 years
Male: 55.65 years
Female: 58.71 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.03 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1988)
Total population: 27%
Male: 37%
Female: 18%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
Conventional short form: Senegal
Local long form: Republique du Senegal
Local short form: Senegal

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 August 1960 (from France; The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981); election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); results - Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57%
Head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly Assemblee Nationale: elections last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - PS 70%, PDS 23%, other 7%; seats - (120 total) PS 84, PDS 27, LD-MPT 3, Let Us Unite Senegal 3, PIT 2, UDS-R 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNOMUR, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK
In the us chancery: 2,112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540, 0541
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark JOHNSON
From the us embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar
From the us mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
From the us telephone: [221] 23 42 96, 23 34 24
From the us FAX: [221] 22 29 91

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: In 1994 Senegal embarked on its most concerted structural adjustment effort yet to exploit the 50% devaluation of the currencies of the 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January. After years of foot-dragging, the government finally passed a liberalized labor code which should significantly help lower the cost of labor and improve the manufacturing sector's competitiveness. Inroads also have been made in closing tax loopholes and eliminating monopoly power in several sectors. At the same time the government is holding the line on current fiscal expenditure under the watchful eyes of international organizations on which it depends for substantial support. A bumper peanut crop - Senegal's main source of foreign exchange - coincided with an improvement of international prices and probably resulted in a doubling of earnings in 1994 over 1993. The country's narrow resource base, environmental degradation, and untamed population growth will continue to hold back growth in living standards over the medium term.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,450 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 20% of GDP; major products - peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; estimated two-thirds self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 354,000 metric tons in 1990

Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, building materials

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (1991; accounts for 15% of GDP

Labor force: 2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming; 175,000 wage earners)
By occupation private sector: 40%
By occupation governmentandparapublic: 60%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.2 billion
Expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $269 million (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $904 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Partners: France, other EC countries, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum
Partners: France, other EC countries, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, China, Japan

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.9 billion (1990)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)
Note: the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948


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Electricity
Capacity: 230,000 kW
Production: 720 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 79 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; above-average urban system
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave and cable
International: 3 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $134 million, 2.1% of GDP (1993)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 24
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 897 km total; 785 km on the Senegal, 112 km on the Saloum

Merchant marine: total:1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,995 GRT/3,775 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; boundary with Mauritania in dispute;

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America