Background: The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.

Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N 14 00 W

Area
Rank: 88
Land: 192,530 km²
Water: 4,192 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
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
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 highest point: unnamed elevation southwest of Kedougou 581 m

Natural resources: fish phosphates iron ore

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.28%
Other: 80.15% (2011)

Irrigated land: 1197 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 38.8 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

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

Population: 13,635,927 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 73
Growth rate: 2.48% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 32
Below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)

Nationality
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% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods) Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic) indigenous beliefs 1%

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.5% (male 1,388,530/female 1,401,109)
25-54 years: 30.4% (male 1,892,403/female 2,253,576)
55-64 years: 3.8% (male 225,942/female 289,920)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 179,444/female 216,314) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 81 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 %
Potential support ratio: 18.2 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 17.5 years
Female: 19.3 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.48% (2014 est.)
Rank: 32

Birth rate: 35.09 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 25

Death rate: 8.65 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 74

Net migration rate: -1.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 159

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 3.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: DAKAR (capital) 3.035 million (2011)

Environment
Current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.4

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 35
Male: 58.91 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 46.35 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 192
Male: 58.94 years
Female: 63.02 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.52 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 29

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 13.1% (2010/11)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.3 beds/1000 population (2008)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2012 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 68
People living with hivaids: 42,800 (2012 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 64
Deaths: 1900 (2012 est.)
Deaths rank: 60

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever malaria and yellow fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.8% (2008)
Rank: 145

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 14.4% (2012)
Rank: 51

Education expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 53

Literacy
Total population: 49.7%
Male: 61.8%
Female: 38.7% (2009 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 8 years
Female: 8 years (2010)

Country name
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
Geographic coordinates: 14 44 N 17 38 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 14 regions (regions singular - region); Dakar Diourbel Fatick Kaffrine Kaolack Kedougou Kolda Louga Matam Saint-Louis Sedhiou Tambacounda Thies Ziguinchor

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

National holiday: Independence Day 4 April (1960)

Constitution: previous 1959 (preindependence) 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001 promulgated 22 January 2001; amended many times last in 2008 (2011)

Legal system: civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Aminata TOURE (since 3 September 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 February 2012 with a second round runoff on 25 March 2012 (next to be held 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Macky SALL elected president; percent of votes in a runoff - Macky SALL 65.8% Abdoulaye WADE 34.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote and 60 elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)
Elections: National Assembly - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
Election results: National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition 119 PDS 12 Bokk Giss Giss coalition 4 MCRN-Bes Du Nakk 4 PVD 2 MRDS 2 URD 1 AJ/PADS 1 other 5

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Highest Appeals Court judges' tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president of the republic to serve 6-year terms with renewal of 3 members every two years
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; regional and first instance courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CD CPLP (associate) ECOWAS FAO FZ G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us embassy: 2,215 M Street NW Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-6,315
In the us consulate general: Houston New York
From the us embassy: Route des Almadies Dakar
From the us mailing address: B. P. 49 Dakar
From the us telephone: [221] 33-879-4,000
From the us FAX: [221] 33-822-2,991

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; green represents Islam progress and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope

National symbols: lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER

Economy overview: Senegal’s economy is driven by agriculture and that sector is the primary source of employment for the rural areas. The country's key export industries are phosphate mining fertilizer production and commercial fishing. The country is also working on iron ore and oil exploration projects. senegal relies heavily on donor assistance and foreign direct investment. President Macky SALL who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda inherited an economy with a weak infrastructure challenging business environment and a culture of overspending that still plagued the country in 2013. The IMF completed a non-dispersing Policy Support Initiative program in December 2010 and approved a new three-year policy support instrument to assist with economic reforms. The economy continues to suffer from unreliable power supplies and rising costs of living which has led to public protests and high unemployment and has prompted migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 120

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 78

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 193

Gross national saving:
Rank: 65

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 9%
Investment in fixed capital: 31%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 25.6%
Imports of goods and services: -47.4%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 22.7%
Services: 62.4% (2013 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; iron ore zircon and gold mining construction materials ship construction and repair

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2013 est.)
Rank: 106

Labor force: 6.096 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 67
By occupation industry and services: 22.5% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate: 48% (2007 est.)
Rank: 195

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 30.1% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index: 41.3 (1995)
Rank: 52

Budget
Expenditures: $4.366 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -5.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 172

Taxes and other revenues: 23.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 143

Public debt: 38.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 97

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 17

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.3% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of narrow money: $3.577 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 109

Stock of broad money: $5.826 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 124

Stock of domestic credit: $4.509 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 115

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$1.618 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 127

Exports: $2.382 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 132
Commodities: fish groundnuts (peanuts) petroleum products phosphates cotton
Partners: Mali 14.4% Switzerland 14.1% India 11.9% France 4.7% Guinea 4.2% (2012)

Imports: $5.733 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 123
Commodities: food and beverages capital goods fuels
Partners: France 16.2% Nigeria 12.9% India 6.3% China 6.3% UK 4.6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.082 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 121

Debt external: $4.221 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 125

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 2.769 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 130
Consumption: 2.22 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 138
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 192
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 196
Installed generating capacity: 638,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 132
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 47
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 175
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 197
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 90

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 211
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 178
Crude oil imports: 15,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 72
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 184

Refined petroleum
Products production: 15,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 99
Products consumption: 40,600 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 107
Products exports: 562 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 110
Products imports: 23,760 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 98

Natural gas
Production: 20 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 89
Consumption: 20 million m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 110
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 179
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 126
Proven reserves: 0 m³
Proven reserves rank: 190

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.088 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 338,200 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 110
Mobile cellular: 11.47 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 73

Telephone system
Domestic: above-average urban system with a fiber-optic network; nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a call-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line services in rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly
International: country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic cable provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides connectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

Broadcast media: state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) operates 2 TV stations; a few private TV subscription channels rebroadcast foreign channels without providing any local news or programs; RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations; many community and private-broadcast radio stations are available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sn
Hosts: 237 (2012)
Hosts rank: 197
Users: 1.818 million (2009)
Users rank: 76

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 20 years of age for selective conscript service; service obligation is 2 years; women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2013)

Airports: 20 (2013)
Rank: 136
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 43 km; refined products 8 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 92
Narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 125
Paved: 4,099 km (includes 7 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 9,909 km (2003)

Waterways: 1000 km (primarily on the Senegal Saloum and Casamance rivers) (2012)
Rank: 64

Merchant marine
Rank: 150
By type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010)

Disputes international: The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem separatist violence cross border raids and arms smuggling into their countries from southern Senegal's Casamance region

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: up to 24,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2013)

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