Senegal

Republic of SenegalRepublique du Senegal

republicIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)

Senegal as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 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
2007

Every edition of Senegal

Populationas each edition published it
12.52 million July 2007 est. · 7.71m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.645% 2007 est. · 3.1% in 1993
Median ageyears
18.7 years 2007 est. · 17.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
56.69 years 2007 est. · 56.01 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5 children per woman 2007 est. · 6.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
60.15 deaths per 1,000 live births 2007 est. · 87 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,800 2006 est. · $780 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2% 2006 est. · 1.2% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for 40 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.

The most significant threat within Senegal since the 1980s has been led by the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC). Although a peace agreement was signed in December 2004, internal rifts continue to keep the peace process deadlocked. Nevertheless, 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 · (2007 est.)

176,877
65 and over3%
199,553
3,426,504
15-6455%
3,454,372
2,656,122
0-1442%
2,608,423
MaleFemale
Population
12,521,851
(July 2007 est.)growth rate: 2.645% (2007 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2007 est.)

Birth
37.4Death
10.96Net migration
0

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2007 est.)56.69
55.34 · 58.09Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)60.15
64.06 · 56.12
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002 est.)39.3%
51.1% · 29.2%Median age years (2007 est.)18.7
18.5 · 18.9
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:
1.018 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.992 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.886 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

5 children born/woman (2007 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 (2007)

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 Cheikh Hadjibou SOUMARE (since 19 June 2007)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

55.9%
Abdoulaye WADE 55.9%Idrissa SECK 14.9%Ousmane Tanor DIENG 13.6%Moustapha NIASSE 5.9%other 9.7%election last held on 25 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

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 achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

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 Cheikh Hadjibou SOUMARE (since 19 June 2007)
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 on 25 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012);
  • prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
  • Abdoulaye WADE reelected president in the first round of voting;
  • percent of vote - Abdoulaye WADE 55.9%, Idrissa SECK 14.9%, Ousmane Tanor DIENG 13.6%, Moustapha NIASSE 5.9%, other 9.7%

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote with the remaining members elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and the Senate reinstituted in 2007 (100 seats; 35 indirectly elected with the remaining 65 members to be appointed by the president)

elections:
  • National Assembly - last held on 3 June 2007 (next to be held 2012);
  • note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006;
  • legislative elections were first rescheduled to coincide with the 25 February 2007 presidential elections and later rescheduled for 3 June 2007;
  • the June election was boycotted by 12 opposition parties, including the former ruling Socialist Party, that resulted in a record-low, 35-percent voter turnout;
  • Senate - last held 19 August 2007 (next to be held - NA)
election results:
  • National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - SOPI Coalition 131, other 19;
  • Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - PDS 34, AJ/PADS 1, 65 to be appointed by the president

Judicial branch

  • Constitutional Court;
  • Council of State;
  • Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation;
  • Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders

  • African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP];
  • And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS) [Landing SAVANE];
  • 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 Bamba DIEYE];
  • Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS];
  • Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO];
  • Jef-Jel [Talla SYLLA];
  • National Democratic Rally or RND [Madior DIOUF];
  • People's Labor Party or PTP [Elhadji DIOUF];
  • Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE];
  • Rewmi [Idrissa SECK];
  • 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • labor;
  • Sufi and Mouride brotherhoods;
  • students;
  • teachers

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jay Thomas Smith
embassy:
Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address:
B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone:
[221] 33-823-4296
FAX:
[221] 33-822-2991

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.

46 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$21.54billion
(2006 est.)official exchange rate: $8.331 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,800
(2006 est.)
Real growth rate
2%
(2006 est.)industrial production growth: 3.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2006 est.)

agriculture 16.6%industry 19.2%services 64.1% (2006 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$1.975 billionExpenditures
$2.485 billion (2006 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
2.223 billion (2005)Electricity consumption
1.456 billion (2005)

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 1995-2006. 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.

High unemployment, however, continues to prompt illegal migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe. Senegal was also beset by an energy crisis that caused widespread blackouts in 2006. 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

4.723 million (2006 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%:
2.7%
highest 10%:
33.4% (2001)

Investment (gross fixed)

39.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Public debt

16.3% of GDP (2006 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 (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption

31,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006)

Natural gas - production

47.95 million cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

47.95 million cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Current account balance

$-960 million (2006 est.)

Exports

$1.408 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Mali 19.2%, France 8.3%, India 5.8%, Gambia, The 5.3%, Spain 5.1%, Italy 4.9% (2006)

Imports

$3.007 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and beverages, capital goods, fuels

Imports - partners

France 25.1%, UK 5.2%, Thailand 4.8%, China 4.5%, Spain 4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient

$689.3 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.334 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$1.437 billion (2006 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 - 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
2.983 million
(2006)
Fixed lines
282,600
(2006) · 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

650,000 (2006)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

1
over 3,047 m
7
1,524 to 2,437 m
6
1
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 (includes 7 km of expressways) · unpaved: 9,604 km (2003) · Railways: narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2006) · Waterways: (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers)

Airports

20 (2007)

Pipelines

gas 43 km (2006)

Railways

total:
906 km
narrow gauge:
906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2006)

Roadways

total:
13,576 km
paved:
3,972 km (includes 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) (2007)

6 fields

Military branches

Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2007)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 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 separatist violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling into their countries from Senegal's Casamance region, and in 2006, respectively accepted 6,000 and 10,000 Casamance residents fleeing the conflict;
  • 2,500 Guinea-Bissau residents fled into Senegal in 2006 to escape armed confrontations along the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin):
19,712 (Mauritania)
IDPs:
22,400 (approximately 65% of the IDP population returned in 2005, but new displacement is occurring due to clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2006)

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 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/senegal/2007.

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