Senegal

Republic of SenegalRepublique du Senegal

republicIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)

Senegal as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 126 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, UTC
Position14 00 N, 14 00 W
Area196,190 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
2006

Every edition of Senegal

Populationas each edition published it
11.99 million July 2006 est. · 7.71m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.34% 2006 est. · 3.1% in 1993
Median ageyears
19.1 years 2006 est. · 17.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
59.25 years 2006 est. · 56.01 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
4.38 children per woman 2006 est. · 6.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
52.94 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 87 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,800 2005 est. · $780 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6.1% 2005 est. · 1.2% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty 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. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

18 fields

Land useshare of 196,190 sq km

arable land 12.51%permanent crops 0.24%other 87.25% (2005)irrigated 1,200 sq km (2003)
Area
196,190sq km
land: 192,000 sq kmwater: 4,190 sq kmslightly smaller than South Dakota
Coastline
531km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Highest point
581m
unnamed feature near Nepen Diakhalowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
2,640km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 14 00 W

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

Natural resources

fish, phosphates, iron ore

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

20 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

174,399
65 and over3.1%
198,042
3,346,756
15-6456.1%
3,378,518
2,467,021
0-1440.8%
2,422,385
MaleFemale
Population
11,987,121
(July 2006 est.)growth rate: 2.34% (2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)

Birth
32.78Death
9.42Net migration
0

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)59.25
57.7 · 60.85Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)52.94
56.49 · 49.29
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)40.2%
50% · 30.7%Median age years (2006 est.)19.1
18.9 · 19.3
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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%

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.88 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.38 children born/woman (2006 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 (2005)

Nationality

noun:
Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Senegalese

Languages

French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

Government

Republic; President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000); Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)

18 fields

Presidential election, second roundpercent of vote

58.49%
Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51%election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007)

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 120 seats, elected 29 April 2001one dot, one seat

SOPI Coalition 89AFP 11PS 10other 10

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

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 was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution

new constitution adopted 7 January 2001

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 (eligible for a second term) under new constitution;
  • election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 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 27 February 2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007
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

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];
  • 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];
  • other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

International organization participation

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, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, 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 Janice L. JACOBS
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

  • 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.

44 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$20.57billion
(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $7.972 billion (2005 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,800
(2005 est.)
Real growth rate
6.1%
(2005 est.)industrial production growth: 3.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)

agriculture 17.2%industry 20.9%services 61.9% (2005 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$1.657 billionExpenditures
$1.926 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $357 million

Electricity

Electricity production
1.332 billion (2003)Electricity consumption
1.239 billion (2003)

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 1995-2004. 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.

However, 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.

Labor force

4.82 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
77%
industry and services:
23% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.6%
highest 10%:
33.5% (1995)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt

46% of GDP (2005 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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

31,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

50 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

50 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance

$-848 million (2005 est.)

Exports

$1.526 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners

Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy 5.5%, Gambia, The 4.6% (2005)

Imports

$2.405 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and beverages, capital goods, fuels

Imports - partners

France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand 4.3%, US 4.2%, UK 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.191 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$3.529 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$449.6 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code)

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 - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
1.73 million
(2005)
Fixed lines
266,600
(2005) · country code .sn

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)

Internet users

540,000 (2005)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

1
over 3,047 m
6
1,524 to 2,437 m
6
2
914 to 1,523 m
4
under 914 m
1
Paved 9Unpaved 11

Networkskm

Roadways
13,576Railways
906Waterways
1,000 (2005)
Roadways: paved: 3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways) · unpaved: 9,604 km (2003) · Railways: narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2005) · Waterways: (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers)

Airports

20 (2006)

Pipelines

gas 43 km (2006)

Railways

total:
906 km
narrow gauge:
906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2005)

Roadways

total:
13,576 km
paved:
3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways)
unpaved:
9,604 km (2003)

Waterways

1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2005)

Military

Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006)

6 fields

Military branches

Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - two 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.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

Disputes - international

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

refugees (country of origin):
19,778 (Mauritania)
IDPs:
17,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2005)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

Central Intelligence Agency. “Senegal.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/senegal/2006.

How to cite ← 2005 edition 2007 edition →