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.

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
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: unnamed location in the Futa Jaldon foothills 581 m

Natural resources:

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

Irrigated land: 1,800 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

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

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)

Environment
Current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Current issues Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
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
International agreements note: The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.49 years (1996 est.), 57.16 years (1995 est.)
Male: 53.75 years (1996 est.), 55.65 years (1995 est.)
Female: 59.3 years (1996 est.), 58.71 years (1995 est.) (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 33.1%
Male: 43%
Female: 23.2%

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

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

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)

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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: 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 of that year. After years of foot-dragging, the government has passed a liberalized labor code which should lower the cost of labor and improve the manufacturing sector's competitiveness. Inroads also have been made in closing tax loopholes, eliminating monopoly power in several sectors, and privatizing state owned firms. 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. The IMF, in mid-1995, announced that the government met most economic targets as called for in its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility agreement and released the second $50 million tranche. The country's narrow resource base, environmental degradation, and untamed population growth will continue to hold back improvement in living standards over the medium term.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

Industrial production growth rate: 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 Government and parapublic: 60%

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget
Revenues: $876 million (1996 est.); $1.2 billion (1992 est.)
Expenditures: $197.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.); $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $269 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external:

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1_500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (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

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

Telephone system: 55,000 telephones; above-average urban system
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave and cable
International: 3 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $82 million, 2.1% of GDP (1996 est.), $134 million, 2.1% of GDP (1993)

Airports: 17
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1

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

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