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Senegal
Background: 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.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W Map references: Africa Area:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota Land boundaries:
Coastline: 531 km Maritime claims:
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 Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore Land use:
Irrigated land: 710 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
Population: 9,987,494 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 2.94% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 37.94 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 8.57 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 58.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 5.21 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
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 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic) Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: SG Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule Capital: Dakar Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor Independence: 4 April 1960 from France; complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 (The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (constituted February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989) National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960) Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991 Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; Senegal has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (140 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Judicial branch: under the terms of a reform of the judicial system implemented in 1992, the principal organs of the judiciary are as follows: 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]; 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]; Senegalese Democratic Party-Renewal or PDS-R [Serigne Lamine DIOP, secretary general]; Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal or UDS-R [Mamadou Puritain FALL]; Socialist Party or PS [President Abdou DIOUF]; 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, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 - 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 is 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 5% annually in 1995-99. Annual inflation has been pushed down to 2%, and the fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of GDP. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic unemployment, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction. Real GDP growth is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is likely to hold at 2% in 2000-2001. GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.6 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,650 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (1999 est.) Labor force: NA Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60% Unemployment rate: NA%; urban youth 40% Budget:
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1998 est.) Electricity - production: 1.2 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 1.116 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish Exports: $925 million (f.o.b., 1998) Exports - commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton Exports - partners: France 22%, Italy, India, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali (1998) Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998) Imports - commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products Imports - partners: France 36%, other EU countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, US, China, Japan (1998) Debt - external: $3.4 billion (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $647.5 million (1995) Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966), 499.15 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 82,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 122 (1995) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 1.24 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: 361,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 897 km total; 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river Ports and harbors: Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor Airports: 20 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68 million (FY97) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY97)
Disputes - international: short section of boundary with The Gambia is indefinite Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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