Senegal

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.

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

• wildlife populations threatened by poaching;
• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• desertification;
• overfishing

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

0-14 years:

43.7% (male 2,330,395; female 2,289,706)

15-64 years:

53.3% (male 2,707,195; female 2,929,998)

65 years and over:

3% (male 156,514; female 166,499) (2003 est.)

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.94 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

noun:

Senegalese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Senegalese

conventional long form:

Republic of Senegal

conventional short form:

Senegal

local short form:

Senegal

local long form:

Republique du Senegal

• 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

chief of state:

President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)

head of government:

Prime Minister Idrissa SECK (since 4 November 2002)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with 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%

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term under new constitution;
• election last held 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2005);
• prime minister appointed by the president

• Constitutional Court;
• Council of State;
• Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation;
• Court of Appeals;
• note - the judicial system was reformed in 1992

• 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

• labor;
• Muslim brotherhoods;
• students;
• teachers

chief of mission:

Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA

FAX:

[1] (202) 332-6315

consulate(s) general:

New York

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-0540

chancery:

2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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

FAX:

[221] 822-2991

• 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

lowest 10%:

2.6%

highest 10%:

33.5% (1995)

• peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables;
• cattle, poultry, pigs;
• fish

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)

total:

906 km

narrow gauge:

906 km 1.000-meter gauge (2002)

total:

14,576 km

paved:

4,271 km including 7 km of expressways

unpaved:

10,305 km (2000)