Senegal
Republic of SenegalRepublique du Senegal
republicIndependence 4 April 1960 (from France)
Senegal as the 2015 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 164 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never implemented, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict.
Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and weaken the opposition.
His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL, a former ally and prime minister. Since taking office, SALL has launched an economic reform program aimed at boosting economic growth, and his administration has conducted corruption investigations against senior figures in WADE's government.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
20 fieldsClimate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Land use
- agricultural land:
- 46.8%;
- arable land 17.4%;
- permanent crops 0.3%;
- permanent pasture 29.1%
- forest:
- 43.8%
- other:
- 9.4% (2011 est.)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
- per capita:
- 221.6 cu m/yr (2002)
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
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
People and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2015 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2015 est.)
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.84 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.77 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2015 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, and yellow fever
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- respiratory disease:
- meningococcal meningitis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies (2013)
Government
Republic; President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012); Prime Minister Mohammed Abdallah Boun DIONNE (since 4 July 2014)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly results, 150 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
- former:
- Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation
Capital
- name:
- Dakar
- geographic coordinates:
- 14 44 N, 17 38 W
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
14 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
Constitution
- previous 1959 (preindependence), 1963;
- latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001;
- amended many times, last in 2009 (2014)
Legal system
civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Mohammed Abdallah Boun DIONNE (since 4 July 2014)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
- elections/appointments:
- president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 26 February 2012 with a runoff on 25 March 2012 (next to be held in 2019);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Macky SALL elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Macky SALL ( Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar ) 65.8%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 34.2%
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
- elections:
- National Assembly - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
- election results:
- National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition 119, PDS 12, Bokk Giss Giss coalition 4, MCRN-Bes Du Nakk 4, PVD 2, MRDS 2, URD 1, AJ/PADS 1, other 5
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges);
- Constitutional Council (consists of 5 members including the court president, vice-president, and 3 judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Court of Final Appeals judges' appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Higher Council of the Judiciary, a body chaired by the president of the republic;
- judge tenure NA;
- Constitutional Council members appointed by the president of the republic to serve 6-year terms with renewal of 3 members every 2 years
- subordinate courts:
- High Court of Justice (for crime of high treason by president);
- Supreme Court (for abuses by government executives and local officials);
- Court of Auditors;
- Courts of Appeal;
- Assize Courts (4);
- Regional and District Courts, Labor Court
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar [Macky SALL]
- Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]
- And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Mamadou DIOP, Landing SAVANE]
- Benno Bokk Yakaar coaltion [Macky SALL]
- Benno Siggil Senegal (a coalition of opposition parties)
- Bokk Giss Giss coalition [pape DIOP]
- Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk
- Convergence Democratique ‘BOKK GIS GIS’ (Common Vision) Pape DIOP
- Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Mamadou NDOYE]
- Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]
- Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]
- Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Magette THIAM]
- People's Labor Party or PTP [El Hadji DIOUF]
- Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE]
- Republican Movement for Socialism and Democracy or MRDS
- Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]
- Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]
- Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]
- Union Centriste du Senegal or UCS [Abdoulaye BALDE']
- Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- other:
- labor;
- students;
- Sufi brotherhoods, including the Mourides and Tidjanes;
- teachers
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Babacar DIAGNE (since 18 November 2014)
- embassy:
- 2215 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 234-0540
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 629-2961
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador James P. Zumwalt (since 9 January 2015); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau
- embassy:
- Route des Almadies, Dakar
- mailing address:
- B. P. 49, Dakar
- telephone:
- [221] 33-879-4000
- 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;
- green represents Islam, progress, and hope;
- yellow signifies natural wealth and progress;
- red symbolizes sacrifice and determination;
- the star denotes unity and hope
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
National anthem
- name:
- "Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)
- lyrics/music:
- Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER
note: adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the Koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title
Economy
Senegal’s economy is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fisheries and agriculture which is the primary source of employment in rural areas.
39 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2014 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Senegal’s economy is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fisheries and agriculture which is the primary source of employment in rural areas. The country's key export industries include phosphate mining, fertilizer production, agricultural products and commercial fishing and it is also working on oil exploration projects.
Senegal relies heavily on donor assistance, remittances and foreign direct investment. President Macky SALL, who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda, inherited an economy with high energy costs, a challenging business environment, and a culture of overspending.
Senegal received technical support from the IMF in 2010-2014 under a Policy Support Instrument to assist economic reform through sound macroeconomic and fiscal policies to reduce the fiscal deficit, increase transparency and facilitate private investment. President SALL unveiled an ambitious economic plan, the Emerging Senegal Plan, which aims to implement priority economic reforms and investment projects to increase economic growth.
Bureaucratic bottlenecks and a challenging business climate are among the perennial challenges that may slow the implementation of this plan. Investors have signaled confidence in the country through Senegal’s successful Eurobond issuances in recent years, including in 2014.
Gross national saving
17.4% of GDP (2014 est.) · 16.4% of GDP (2013 est.) · 19% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
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, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Distribution of family income - Gini index
40.3 (2011) · 40.3 (2011) country comparison to the world: 52
Central bank discount rate
0.25% (31 December 2010) · 4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 147
Commercial bank prime lending rate
13.3% (31 December 2014 est.) · 14% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Stock of narrow money
$4.086 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $4.177 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Stock of broad money
$6.443 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $6.574 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Stock of domestic credit
$5.549 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $5.394 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Current account balance
-$1.602 billion (2014 est.) · -$1.598 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $2.253 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Debt - external
$5.747 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $4.91 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 494.4 (2014 est.) · 494 (2013 est.) · 510.53 (2012 est.) · 471.87 (2011 est.) · 495.28 (2010)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 623,000 kW(2011 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
7.139 million Mt (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Communications
8 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2014 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- good system with microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
- domestic:
- above-average urban system with a fiber-optic network;
- nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a call-center industry is emerging;
- expansion of fixed-line services in rural areas needed;
- mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly
- international:
- country code - 221;
- the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic cable provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides connectivity to South America;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)
Broadcast media
- state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) operates 2 TV stations;
- a few private TV subscription channels rebroadcast foreign channels without providing any local news or programs;
- RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations;
- many community and private-broadcast radio stations are available;
- transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2007)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
Senegalese Armed Forces: Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2013)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Senegalese Armed Forces: Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
- 20 years of age for selective conscript service;
- 2-year service obligation;
- women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2013)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 2,699,196
- females age 16-49:
- 3,018,565 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem separatist violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling into their countries from southern Senegal's Casamance region
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 13,699 (Mauritania) (2014)
- IDPs:
- up to 24,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2014)
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Senegal.” The World Factbook 2015. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/senegal/2015.