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Introduction | Senegal

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 was ruled by the Socialist Party for 40 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. The most significant threat within Senegal since the 1980s has been led by the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC). Although a peace agreement was signed in December 2004, internal rifts continue to keep the peace process deadlocked. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Geography | Senegal

Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates: | 14 00 N, 14 00 W
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: | total: 2,640 km border countries: 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 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: | 1,200 sq km (2003)
Internal Renewable Water Resources: | 39.4 cu km (1987)
Freshwater Withdrawal (Domestic/Industrial/Agricultural): | Total: 2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%) Per capita: 190 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards: | lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: | wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Environment - 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
Geography - note: | westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal

People | Senegal

Population: | 12,521,851 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42% (male 2,656,122/female 2,608,423) 15-64 years: 55% (male 3,426,504/female 3,454,372) 65 years and over: 3% (male 176,877/female 199,553) (2007 est.)
Median age: | total: 18.7 years male: 18.5 years female: 18.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.645% (2007 est.)
Birth rate: | 37.4 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate: | 10.96 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.018 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.992 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.886 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 60.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 64.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 56.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 56.69 years male: 55.34 years female: 58.09 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 5 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 44,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - 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 (2007)
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%
Religions: | Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: | French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 39.3% male: 51.1% female: 29.2% (2002 est.)

Government | Senegal

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 achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday: | Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
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 Cheikh Hadjibou SOUMARE (since 19 June 2007) 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 on 25 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdoulaye WADE reelected president in the first round of voting; percent of vote - Abdoulaye WADE 55.9%, Idrissa SECK 14.9%, Ousmane Tanor DIENG 13.6%, Moustapha NIASSE 5.9%, other 9.7%
Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote with the remaining members elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and the Senate reinstituted in 2007 (100 seats; 35 indirectly elected with the remaining 65 members to be appointed by the president) elections: National Assembly - last held on 3 June 2007 (next to be held 2012); note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006; legislative elections were first rescheduled to coincide with the 25 February 2007 presidential elections and later rescheduled for 3 June 2007; the June election was boycotted by 12 opposition parties, including the former ruling Socialist Party, that resulted in a record-low, 35-percent voter turnout; Senate - last held 19 August 2007 (next to be held - NA) election results: National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 131, other 19; Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDS 34, AJ/PADS 1, 65 to be appointed by the president
Judicial branch: | Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders: | African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS) [Landing SAVANE]; 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 Bamba DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; Jef-Jel [Talla SYLLA]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madior DIOUF]; People's Labor Party or PTP [Elhadji DIOUF]; Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE]; Rewmi [Idrissa SECK]; 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | labor; Sufi and Mouride brotherhoods; students; teachers
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jay Thomas Smith embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 33-823-4296 FAX: [221] 33-822-2991
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 | Senegal

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 1995-2006. 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. High unemployment, however, continues to prompt illegal migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe. Senegal was also beset by an energy crisis that caused widespread blackouts in 2006. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $21.54 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $8.331 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $1,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 16.6% industry: 19.2% services: 64.1% (2006 est.)
Labor force: | 4.723 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 77% 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%: 2.7% highest 10%: 33.4% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 41.3 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.1% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 39.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $1.975 billion expenditures: $2.485 billion (2006 est.)
Public debt: | 16.3% of GDP (2006 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: | 3.2% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: | 2.223 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 1.456 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 31,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural gas - production: | 47.95 million cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 47.95 million cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Current account balance: | $-960 million (2006 est.)
Exports: | $1.408 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: | fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners: | Mali 19.2%, France 8.3%, India 5.8%, Gambia, The 5.3%, Spain 5.1%, Italy 4.9% (2006)
Imports: | $3.007 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: | food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
Imports - partners: | France 25.1%, UK 5.2%, Thailand 4.8%, China 4.5%, Spain 4% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | $689.3 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $1.334 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external: | $1.437 billion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA
Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code: | XOF
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)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Senegal

Telephones - main lines in use: | 282,600 (2006)
Telephones - 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)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios: | 1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997)
Televisions: | 361,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .sn
Internet hosts: | 199 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002)
Internet users: | 650,000 (2006)

Transportation | Senegal

Airports: | 20 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
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: | 1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Dakar

Military | Senegal

Military branches: | Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2007)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 2,443,840 females age 18-49: 2,461,939 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 1,558,175 females age 18-49: 1,642,533 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males age 18-49: 129,331 females age 18-49: 129,398 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Senegal

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

This page was last updated on 13 December, 2007