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.

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 196,190 km²
Land: 192,000 km²

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 531 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of 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

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

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

Irrigated land: 1,800 km² (1989 est.)

Population: 8,463,225 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.1% (1993 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:

Population growth rate: 3.1% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 43.42 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 12.38 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: lowlands seasonally flooded; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues note: The Gambia is almost an enclave

Infant mortality rate: 77.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.01 years
Male: 54.59 years
Female: 57.48 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 38%
Male: 52%
Female: 25%

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:

Independence:

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution: 3 March 1963, last revised in 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ibra Deguene KA
In the us chancery: 2,112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 234-0540 or 0541
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert J. KOTT
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 or 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

Economy overview: The agricultural sector accounts for about 12% of GDP and provides employment for about 80% of the labor force. About 40% of the total cultivated land is used to grow peanuts, an important export crop. Another principal economic resource is fishing, which brought in about 23% of total foreign exchange earnings in 1990. Mining is dominated by the extraction of phosphate, but production has faltered because of reduced worldwide demand for fertilizers in recent years. Over the past 10 years tourism has become increasingly important to the economy.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $780 (1991 est.)

Agriculture products: 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: growth rate 4.7% (1989; accounts for 15% of GDP

Labor force: 2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming;
By occupation private sector: 40%
By occupation governmentandparapublic:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $921 million; expenditures $1,024 million; including

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June; in January 1993, Senegal will switch to a calendar year

Exports: $904 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: manufactures 30%, fish products 23%, peanuts 12%, petroleum products 16%, phosphates 9%
Partners: France, other EC members, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, India

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: semimanufactures 30%, food 27%, durable consumer goods 17%, petroleum 12%, capital goods 14%
Partners: France, other EC, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January 1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988)

Electricity
Production: 215,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1991)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 2% of GDP (1989 est.)

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

Merchant marine:
Total: 25
Usable: 19
With permanentsurface runways: 10
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 15

Disputes international:

Illicit drugs: