Senegal

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

• the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area;
• approximately 70% of the population is rural as shown in this population distribution map

noun:

Senegalese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Senegalese

total:

19.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

18.4 years

female:

20 years

• the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area;
• approximately 70% of the population is rural as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

31.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

27.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

70.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

68.8 years

female:

72.4 years

total:

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

6.9% (2020 est.)

male:

13.1% (2020 est.)

female:

0.7% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

8.8%

women married by age 18:

30.5%

men married by age 18:

0.7% (2019 est.)

• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• desertification;
• periodic droughts;
• seasonal flooding;
• overfishing;
• weak environmental protective laws;
• wildlife populations threatened by poaching

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, 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:

none of the selected agreements

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

urban population:

49.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

severe localized food insecurity:

• due to localized shortfalls in cereal production and reduced incomes - the latest analysis indicates that about 1.26 million people are projected to be acutely food insecure during the June to August 2023 lean season;
• this would be a significant deterioration compared to the previous year;
• the main drivers of acute food insecurity are macroeconomic challenges and high prices of basic food items (2023)

particulate matter emissions:

38.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

10.9 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

11.74 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

260 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

58 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

2.76 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Senegal

conventional short form:

Senegal

local long form:

République du Sénégal

local short form:

Sénégal

former:

Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation

etymology:

• named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country;
• many theories exist for the origin of the river name;
• perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river

name:

Dakar

geographic coordinates:

14 44 N, 17 38 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, D.C., during Standard Time)

etymology:

the Atlantic coast trading settlement of Ndakaaru came to be called "Dakar" by French colonialists

history:

previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001

amendments:

• proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly;
• passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum;
• the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote;
• the republican form of government is not amendable;
• amended several times, last in 2019

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal

dual citizenship recognized:

no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024)

head of government:

Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single, renewable 5-year term;
• election last held on 24 March 2024 (next to be held in March 2029)

election results:

2024: Bassirou Diomaye FAYE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (PASTEF) 54%, Amadou BA (APR) 36%, other 10%;

• 2019: Macky SALL reelected president in first round;
• percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5%

description:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years)

elections:

last held on 31 July 2022 (next scheduled to be held in July 2027)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%;
• seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 42, WS 24, other 17;
• composition - men 89, women 76, percentage women 46.1%

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers);
• Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice;
• judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years;
• Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker;
• judges serve 6-year terms, with renewal of 2 members every 2 years

subordinate courts:

• High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president);
• Courts of Appeal;
• Court of Auditors;
• assize courts;
• regional and district courts;
• Labor Court

• Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT
• Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR
• Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP
• AND (National Alliance for Democracy)
• And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS
• ARC (Alternative for the next generation of citizens)
• Awalé
• Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope); coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP
• Bokk Gis Gis coalition
• Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk
• Coalition Mimi 2024
• Dare the Future movement
• Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT
• Democratic Renaissance Congress
• Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ
• Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG
• General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR
• Grand Party or GP
• Gueum sa Bopp (Believe in yourself)
• Independence and Labor Party or PIT
• Jotna Coalition
• Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW
• Madicke 2019 coalition
• National Union for the People or UNP
• Only Senegal Movement
• Party for Truth and Development or PVD
• Party of Unity and Rally or PUR
• Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi
• PRP (Republican party for Progress)
• Rewmi Party
• Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS; coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress
• Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS
• Socialist Party or PS
• Tekki Movement
• Réewum Ngor (Republic of Values)
• Servants (Les Serviteurs)

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Isidor Marcel SENE (since 31 August 2024)

chancery:

2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-0540

FAX:

[1] (202) 629-2961

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau

embassy:

Route des Almadies, Dakar

mailing address:

2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130

telephone:

[221] 33-879-4000

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sn.usembassy.gov/

• 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

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

total World Heritage Sites:

7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Island of Gorée (c);
• Niokolo-Koba National Park (n);
• Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (n);
• Island of Saint-Louis (c);
• Stone Circles of Senegambia (c);
• Saloum Delta (c);
• Bassari Country:
  • Bassari,
  • Fula,
  • and Bedik Cultural Landscapes (c)

• lower middle-income, services-driven West African economy;
• key mining, construction, agriculture, and fishing industries;
• tourism and exports hit hard by COVID-19;
• large informal economy;
• developing offshore oil and gas fields;
• systemic corruption

agriculture:

16.4% (2023 est.)

industry:

23.7% (2023 est.)

services:

50.8% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

4.1% (2023 est.)

male:

2.9% (2023 est.)

female:

6.7% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

28.8% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

502,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

502,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

total petroleum production:

9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

55,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

production:

54.646 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

consumption:

54.498 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

general assessment:

• Senegal’s telecom market continues to show steady growth in all sectors;
• this has been supported by the particular demands made on consumers during the pandemic, which resulted in a particularly strong increase in the number of subscribers;
• the mobile subscriber base increased 6.7% in 2020, year-on-year, and by 4.1% in 2021, while the number of fixed broadband subscribers increased 17.5% year-on-year in 2021;
• mobile internet platforms account for the vast majority of all internet accesses;
• quality of service issues continue to plague the market, with the regulator periodically issuing fines to the market players (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line is 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 118 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 221;
• landing points for the ACE, Atlantis-2, MainOne and SAT-3/WASC submarine cables providing connectivity from South Africa, numerous western African countries, Europe and South America;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

2 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

21,038 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

40,000 (2018) mt-km

total:

906 km (2017) (713 km operational in 2017)

narrow gauge:

906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

total:

16,665 km

paved:

6,126 km (includes 241 km of expressways)

unpaved:

10,539 km (2017)

total ports:

6 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

1

very small:

4

ports with oil terminals:

4

key ports:

Dakar, Karabane, Lyndiane, M'bao Oil Terminal, Rufisque, St. Louis

• the military's inventory includes a mix of older, secondhand, and more modern equipment from a variety of countries, including
  • France,
  • South Africa,
  • and Russia/former Soviet Union
  ;
• in recent years, the military has undertaken a modernization program and has received newer equipment from more than 10 countries, including France and the US (2024)

• 200 Central African Republic (MINUSCA; plus about 525 police);
• 800 (ECOWAS Military Intervention in The Gambia--ECOMIG);
• 500 (ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau--EESMGB);
• 450 police Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)

• small, nascent program focused on acquiring satellites, largely for socio-economic development and research;
• conducts research in such fields as astronomy and planetary sciences;
• has cooperated with the European Space Agency, and the space agencies of China, France, Turkey, and the US (2024)