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  Senegal  
Flag of Senegal
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 Geography
 People
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This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005


Map of Senegal



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Senegal Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Senegal Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
14 00 N, 14 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
531 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 12.78%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 87.01% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
710 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
   People    Senegal Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11,126,832 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 2,404,461/female 2,360,167)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 2,901,689/female 3,122,854)
65 years and over: 3% (male 161,173/female 176,488) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.15 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 18.7 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.48% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
35.21 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 59.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 58.9 years
male: 57.37 years
female: 60.47 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
44,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,500 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
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 (2004)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.2%
male: 50%
female: 30.7% (2003 est.)
   Government    Senegal Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
conventional short form: Senegal
local long form: Republique du Senegal
local short form: Senegal
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Dakar
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
new constitution adopted 7 January 2001
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 under new constitution; election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held February 2007); 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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note - the judicial system was reformed in 1992
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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 (a coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
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, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
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: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Alan ROTH
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 823-4296
FAX: [221] 822-2991
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 5% annually during 1995-2003. 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. Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance, however. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries debt relief program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private sector debt.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$18.36 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 15.9%
industry: 21.4%
services: 62.7% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.65 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 70%
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
41.3 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.8% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $1.572 billion
expenditures: $1.627 billion, including capital expenditures of $357 million (2004 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
55.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.7% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.737 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.615 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
50 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
50 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$-518.8 million (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.374 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
India 14.4%, Mali 13.1%, France 9.8%, Italy 7.3%, Spain 6.6%, Guinea-Bissau 5.6%, Gambia, The 4.8% (2004)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.128 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 24.8%, Nigeria 11.9%, Thailand 6.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$820 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.476 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$362.6 million (2002 est.)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Senegal Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
228,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
575,900 (2003)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sn
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
672 (2003)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
225,000 (2003)
   Transportation    Senegal Top of Page
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (2004)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 14,576 km
paved: 4,271 km including 7 km of expressways
unpaved: 10,305 km (2000)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2003)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
gas 564 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Dakar
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Senegal Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Army, Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Air Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 2,183,343 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,300,502 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males: 124,096 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$107.3 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.5% (2004)
   Transnational Issues    Senegal Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese citizens from the Casamance region fleeing separatist violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
IDPs: 17,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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 20 October, 2005


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