Senegal

republic under multiparty democratic ruleIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)

Senegal as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDakar

Area196,190 km2

Populationas each edition published it

7.71 million July 1990 · 18.85m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.1% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 56.01 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.3 children per woman 1990 · 3.96 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

87 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 30.4 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $780 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.2% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 196,190 km2

arable land 27%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 30%forest and woodland 31%other 12%includes 1% irrigated

Total area

196,190km2

land area: 192,000 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Coastline

531km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,640km total

The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Disputes

short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite;
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary in favor of Senegal--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau;
boundary with Mauritania

Climate

tropical;
hot, humid;
rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds;
dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind

Terrain

generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Environment

lowlands seasonally flooded;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

People

14 fields

Population

7,713,851

(July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

44Death

14Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Wolof 36%Fulani 17%Serer 17%Toucouleur 9%Diola 9%Mandingo 9%European and Lebanese 1%other 2%

Religion

Muslim 92%indigenous beliefs 6%Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 2%

Literacy

28.1%

Nationality

noun--Senegalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Senegalese

Language

French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo

Labor force

2,509,000;
77% subsistence agricultural workers;
175,000 wage earners--40% private sector, 60% government and parapublic;
52% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor

majority of wage-labor force represented by unions;
however, dues-paying membership very limited;
major confederation is National Confederation of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an affiliate of governing party

Government

Republic under multiparty democratic rule

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

73%

Abdou Diouf (PS) 73%Abdoulaye Wade (PDS) 26%others 1%28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993)

National Assembly, 120 seats, elected 28 February 1988one dot, one seat

PS 103PDS 17

Percent of vote

PS 71%PDS 25%others 4%

Type

republic under multiparty democratic rule

Administrative divisions

10 regions (regions, singular--region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

4 April 1960 (from France); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989

Constitution

3 March 1963, last revised in 1984

Legal system

based on French civil law system;
judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government--President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981)

Political parties and leaders

Socialist Party (PS), Abdou Diouf;
Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye Wade;
13 other small uninfluential parties

Suffrage

universal at age 21 President--last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results--Abdou Diouf (PS) 73%, Abdoulaye Wade (PDS) 26%, others 1%;
National Assembly--last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results--PS 71%, PDS 25%, others 4%;
seats--(120 total) PS 103, PDS 17

Communists

small number of Communists and sympathizers

Other political or pressure groups

students, teachers, labor, Muslim Brotherhoods

Member of

ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Ibra Deguene KA;
Chancery at 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 234-0540 or 0541;
US--Ambassador George E. MOOSE;
Embassy on Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar (mailing address is B. P. 49, Dakar);
telephone [221] 21-42-96

Flag

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

The agricultural sector accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides employment for about 75% of the labor force.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$5.0billion

per capita $680; real growth rate 5.1% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.5%

(1987)

External debt

$3.8billion

(1988)

Exports $761 million (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

manufactures

30%fish products

27%peanuts

11%petroleum products

11%phosphates

10%

; partners--US, France, other EC, Ivory Coast, India

Imports $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988)

semimanufactures

30%food

27%durable consumer goods

17%petroleum

12%capital goods

14%

; partners--US, France, other EC, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan

Budget

Revenues

$921 millionExpenditures

$1,024 million

expenditures; including capital expenditures of $14 million (FY89 est.)

Overview

The agricultural sector accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides employment for about 75% of the labor force. About 40% of the total cultivated land is used to grow peanuts, an important export crop. The principal economic resource is fishing, which brought in about $200 million or about 25% of total foreign exchange earnings in 1987.

Mining is dominated by the extraction of phosphate, but production has faltered because of reduced worldwide demand for fertilizers in recent years. Over the past 10 years tourism has become increasingly more important to the economy.

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

- 1.8% (1988 est.)

Industrial production

growth rate 4.9% (1986)

Electricity

210,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

fishing, agricultural processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, building materials

Agriculture

including fishing, accounts for 20% of GDP and 75% of labor force;
major products--peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables;
estimated two-thirds self-sufficient in food;
fish catch of 299,000 metric tons in 1987

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $492 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.4 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $295 million

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 2bulk 13 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 9,263 GRT/15,167 DWT

Airports, 25 total, 20 usable

permanent-surface runways

10runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

14,000Railroads

1,034Inland waterways

900

Highways: ; 3,770 km paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved earth · Railroads: ; all single track except 70 km double track Dakar to Thies · Inland waterways: ; 785 km on the Senegal, 115 km on the Saloum

above-average urban system, using radio relay and cable;
40,200 telephones;
stations--8 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
3 submarine cables;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

1,682,786fit for military service

878,812reach military age (18) annually

88,940

Defense expenditures

2%of GDP

or $100 million (1989 est.)

Branches