Senegal
Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal
republic under multiparty democratic ruleIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)
Senegal as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
18 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 2,640 km border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Climate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Land use
arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 54% other: 18% (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues
- wildlife populations threatened by poaching;
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- soil erosion;
- desertification;
- overfishing
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 44.07% (male 2,279,996; female 2,252,255) 15-64 years: 52.88% (male 2,603,829; female 2,834,328) 65 years and over: 3.05% (male 155,877; female 158,644) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 62.56 years male: 60.94 years female: 64.22 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.1% male: 43% female: 23.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic under multiparty democratic rule
19 fieldsPresidential election, second roundpercent of vote
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 120 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal
Administrative divisions
10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence
4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
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;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Madior BOYE (since 3 March 2001) 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;
- election last held 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 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
- 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
- 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
- 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];
- Senegalese Democratic Party-Renewal or PDS-R [Serigne Lamine DIOP, secretary general];
- Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal or UDS-R [Mamadou Puritain FALL];
- Socialist Party or PS [President Abdou DIOUF];
- SOPI Coalition (a 40-party coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE];
- Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA];
- other small parties
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296, 823-7384
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
In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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 is 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 in 1995-99. Annual inflation has been pushed down to 2%, and the fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of GDP. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997.
As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic unemployment, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction. Real GDP growth is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is likely to hold at 2% in 2001-02.
Budget
revenues: $885 million expenditures: $885 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1996 est.)
Industries
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Agriculture - products
- peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables;
- cattle, poultry, pigs;
- fish
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Exchange rates
- Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966);
- note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- good system domestic: above-average urban system;
- microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system international: 4 submarine cables;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports - with paved runways
total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Senegal.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/senegal/2001.