Background: Independent from France in 1960 Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982 but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982 but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N 14 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 196,190 km²
Land: 192,000 km²
Water: 4,190 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
Total: 2,640 km
Border countries: (5) The Gambia 740 km; , Guinea 330 km; , Guinea-Bissau 338 km; , Mali 419 km; , Mauritania 813 km

Coastline: 531 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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
Extremes highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Natural resources: fish phosphates iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 12.51%
Permanent crops: 0.24%
Other: 87.25% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1200 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Geography
Note: westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal

Population: 11,987,121 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.34% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 54% (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%

Languages: French (official) Wolof Pulaar Jola Mandinka

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.1 years
Male: 18.9 years
Female: 19.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 32.78 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Environment
Current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 52.94 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 56.49 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 49.29 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.25 years
Male: 57.7 years
Female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 44,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 3,500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 40.2%
Male: 50%
Female: 30.7% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
Conventional short form: Senegal
Local long form: Republique du Senegal
Local short form: Senegal
Former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia); Mali Federation

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Dakar
Geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 11 regions (regions singular - region); Dakar Diourbel Fatick Kaolack Kolda Louga Matam Saint-Louis Tambacounda Thies Ziguinchor

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

National holiday: Independence Day 4 April (1960)

Constitution: new constitution 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
Head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2006); prime minister appointed by 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%

Legislative branch
Note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats
Elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 27 February 2006) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they will now coincide with presidential elections in 2006
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

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 [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS); Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS FAO FZ G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA MONUC NAM OIC OIF ONUB OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNMOVIC UNOCI UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
In the us chancery: 2,112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-6,315
In the us consulates general: Houston, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS
From the us embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
From the us mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
From the us telephone: [221] 823-4,296
From the us fax: [221] 822-2,991

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 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 was 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 over 5% annually during 1995-2004. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. However Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral multilateral and private-sector debt.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $20.57 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.1% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1800 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.2%
Industry: 20.9%
Services: 61.9% (2005 est.)

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 ship construction and repair

Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 4.82 million (2005 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 77%
By occupation industry and services: 23% (1990 est.)

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

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 33.5% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 41.3 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $1.657 billion
Expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital expenditures of $357 million (2005 est.)

Public debt: 46% of GDP (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-848 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $1.526 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: fish groundnuts (peanuts) petroleum products phosphates cotton
Partners: Mali 16.9% India 13.1% France 9.5% Spain 6.1% Italy 5.5% Gambia The 4.6% (2005)

Imports: $2.405 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: food and beverages capital goods fuels
Partners: France 22.8% Nigeria 11.4% Brazil 4.5% Thailand 4.3% US 4.2% UK 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.191 billion (2005 est.)

Debt external: $3.529 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.89 (2006) 527.47 (2005) 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003) 696.99 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 1.332 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 1.239 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 50 million m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 50 million m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 282,600 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 2.983 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: good system
Domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
International: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .sn
Hosts: 199 (2006)
Users: 650,000 (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Airports: 20 (2006)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 43 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 906 km
Narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 13,576 km
Paved: 3,972 km (includes 7 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 9,604 km (2003)

Waterways: 1000 km (primarily on Senegal Saloum and Casamance rivers) (2005)

Ports and terminals: Dakar

Disputes international: The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem separatist violence cross border raids and arms smuggling into their countries from Senegal's Casamance region and in 2006 respectively accepted 6,000 and 10,000 Casamance residents fleeing the conflict; 2,500 Guinea-Bissau residents fled into Senegal in 2006 to escape armed confrontations along the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 19,712 (Mauritania)
Idps: 22,400 (approximately 65% of the IDP population returned in 2005, but new displacement is occurring due to clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2006)

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