Background: The French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. 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 implemented and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance 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 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 a former ally and prime minister. Since taking office SALL has launched an economic reform program aimed at boosting economic growth and his administration has conducted corruption investigations against senior figures in WADE's government.

Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N 14 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 196,722 km²
Land: 192,530 km²
Water: 4,192 km²
Rank: 88
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
Total: 2,684 km
Border countries: (5) The Gambia 749 km; Guinea 363 km; Guinea-Bissau 341 km; Mali 489 km; Mauritania 742 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 elevation southwest of Kedougou 581 m

Natural resources: fish phosphates iron ore

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.8%
Forest: 43.8%
Other: 9.4%

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: 13,975,834 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 73
Growth rate: 2.45% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 29
Below poverty line: 46.7% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Senegalese
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
0-14 years: 42.16%
15-24 years: 20.4%
25-54 years: 30.67%
55-64 years: 3.84%
65 years and over: 2.92% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 87.6%
Youth dependency ratio: 82.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5%
Potential support ratio: 18.2%

Median age
Total: 18.5 years
Male: 17.7 years
Female: 19.4 years

Population growth rate: 2.45% (2015 est.)
Rank: 29

Birth rate: 34.52 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 24

Death rate: 8.46 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 78

Net migration rate: -1.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 159

Urbanization
Urban population: 43.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.59% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: DAKAR (capital) 3.52 million (2015)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male/female
25-54 years: 0.84 male/female
55-64 years: 0.77 male/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 51.54 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 57.62 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 45.29 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 34

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.32 years
Male: 59.29 years
Female: 63.42 years
Rank: 195

Total fertility rate: 4.44 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 30

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 17.8% (2012/13)

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: 0.53% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 66
People living with hivaids: 44,000 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 58
Deaths: 2,400 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 52

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 and yellow fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.3% (2014)
Rank: 145

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.8% (2013)
Rank: 40

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

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.7%
Male: 69.7%
Female: 46.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 8 years

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
Conventional short form: Senegal
Local long form: Republique du Senegal
Local short form: Senegal
Former: Senegambia Mali Federation

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Dakar
Geographic coordinates: 14 44 N 17 38 W
Time difference: UTC 0

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 2009 (2014)

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
Chief of state: President Macky SALL
Head of government: Prime Minister Mohammed Abdallah Boun DIONNE
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term ; election last held on 26 February 2012 with a runoff on 25 March 2012 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Macky SALL elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Macky SALL 65.8% Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 34.2%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Elections: National Assembly - last held on 1 July 2012
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
Highest court: Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation ; Constitutional Council (consists of 5 members including the court president vice-president and 3 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Final Appeals judges' appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Higher Council of the Judiciary a body chaired by the president of the republic; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president of the republic to serve 6-year terms with renewal of 3 members every 2 years
Subordinate courts: High Court of Justice ; Supreme Court (for abuses by government executives and local officials); Court of Auditors; Courts of Appeal; Assize Courts (4); Regional and District Courts Labor Court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CD CPLP (associate) ECOWAS EITI (candidate country) FAO FZ G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt 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 UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Babacar DIAGNE
In the us embassy: 2,215 M Street NW Washington DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] 234-0540
In the us FAX: [1] 629-2,961
In the us consulate general: Houston New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador James P. Zumwalt ; note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau
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
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea

National symbols: lion; national colors: green yellow red

National anthem
Name: 'Pincez Tous vos Koras Frappez les Balafons'
Lyrics and music: Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER
Note: adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the Koras and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title

Economy overview: Senegal’s economy is driven by mining construction tourism fisheries and agriculture which is the primary source of employment in rural areas. The country's key export industries include phosphate mining fertilizer production agricultural products and commercial fishing and it is also working on oil exploration projects. Senegal relies heavily on donor assistance remittances and foreign direct investment. President Macky SALL who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda inherited an economy with high energy costs a challenging business environment and a culture of overspending. Senegal received technical support from the IMF in 2010-2014 under a Policy Support Instrument to assist economic reform through sound macroeconomic and fiscal policies to reduce the fiscal deficit increase transparency and facilitate private investment. President SALL unveiled an ambitious economic plan the Emerging Senegal Plan which aims to implement priority economic reforms and investment projects to increase economic growth. Bureaucratic bottlenecks and a challenging business climate are among the perennial challenges that may slow the implementation of this plan. Investors have signaled confidence in the country through Senegal’s successful Eurobond issuances in recent years including in 2014.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 119

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 59

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 199

Gross national saving:
Rank: 98

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 73.1%
Government consumption: 16.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5%
Investment in inventories: 4.2%
Exports of goods and services: 21.1%
Imports of goods and services: -38.5%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15.6%
Industry: 23.8%
Services: 60.6%

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 zircon and gold mining construction materials ship construction and repair

Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2014 est.)
Rank: 50

Labor force: 6.326 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 67
By occupation agriculture: 77.5%
By occupation industry and services: 22.5%

Unemployment rate: 48% (2007 est.)
Rank: 196

Population below poverty line: 46.7% (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 31.1%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 52

Budget
Revenues: $3.844 billion
Expenditures: $4.662 billion
Surplus or deficit: -5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 174

Taxes and other revenues: 24.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 125

Public debt:
Rank: 75

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 14

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 147

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 55

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 108

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 120

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 118

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 134

Exports:
Rank: 139
Commodities: fish groundnuts (peanuts) petroleum products phosphates cotton
Partners: Mali 16% Switzerland 10.5% UAE 5.2% France 4.6% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 125
Commodities: food and beverages capital goods fuels
Partners: France 18.4% Nigeria 8.7% China 7.7% Netherlands 6.3% India 5.8% Turkey 4.6% Belgium 4.3% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 123

Debt external:
Rank: 121

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 3.148 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 130
Consumption: 2.586 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 139
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 194
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 198
Installed generating capacity: 623,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 136
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 46
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 176
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 198
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 94

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 128
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 179
Crude oil imports: 15,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 72
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 185

Refined petroleum
Products production: 35,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products production rank: 100
Products consumption: 43,720 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 108
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: 20.48 million m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 86
Consumption: 20.48 million m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 109
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 176
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 128
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 190

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.139 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 116

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 310,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2
Fixed lines rank: 115
Mobile cellular total: 14.4 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105
Mobile cellular rank: 67

Telephone system
General assessment: good system with microwave radio relay coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk 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 (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
Users total: 3 million
Users percent of population: 22.0%
Users rank: 84

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

Airports: 20 (2013)
Rank: 136
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 11
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
Total: 906 km
Narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge
Rank: 92

Roadways
Total: 15,000 km
Paved: 5,300 km
Unpaved: 9,700 km
Rank: 125

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

Merchant marine
Total: 1
By type: passenger/cargo 1
Rank: 154

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Dakar

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
Refugees: 13,699 (Mauritania) (2014)
IDPs: up to 24,000 (2014)

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