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Senegal

 
Senegal
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Senegal
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(sĕn'ĭ-gôl', -gäl') pronunciation

A country of western Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. The coast was settled by Wolof and other West Atlantic peoples, while the interior formed part of the medieval empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Coastal trading posts were established by the Portuguese (mid-15th century) and by the Dutch and the French (17th century). Senegal was awarded to France in 1815 by the Treaty of Paris and became a French colony in 1895 as part of French West Africa, with full independence being won in 1960. Senegal joined with Gambia in the short-lived confederation of Senegambia (1981-1989). Dakar is the capital and the largest city. Population: 12,500,000.

Senegalese Sen'e·ga·lese' (-gô-lēz', -lēs', -gə-) adj. & n.
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Country, western Africa. Area: 75,955 sq mi (196,722 sq km). Population: (2010 est.) 12,323,000. Capital: Dakar. There are seven major ethnic groups in Senegal — including the Wolof, Fulani, and Malinke, each speaking a separate language — and a number of smaller groups. Language: French (official). Religions: Islam; also traditional beliefs, Christianity. Currency: CFA franc. The climate varies from dry desert to moist tropics. Forests cover about one-third of the total area, and nearly one-third is pasture or rangeland; much of the rest is arable. Agriculture is the main industry; peanuts are the most important cash and export crop. Other important industries are fishing, mining, manufacturing, and tourism. Senegal has large reserves of phosphates and iron ore. It is a multiparty republic with a bicameral legislature; its head of state and government is the president, assisted by the prime minister. Links between the peoples of Senegal and North Africa were established in the early centuries CE. Islam was introduced in the 11th century, although animism retained a hold on the country into the 19th century. The Portuguese explored the coast about 1444, and in 1638 the French established a trading post at the mouth of the Sénégal River. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans exported slaves, ivory, and gold from Senegal. The French gained control over the coast in the early 19th century and moved inland, checking the expansion of the Tukulor empire; in 1895 Senegal became part of French West Africa. Its inhabitants were made French citizens in 1946, and it became an overseas territory of France. It voted for a degree of autonomy in 1958, was federated with Mali in 1959 – 60, and became an independent state in 1960. In 1982 it entered a confederation with Gambia called Senegambia, which was dissolved in 1989. Separatists fighting in the southern part of the country since the early 1980s signed a peace accord with the government in 2004.

For more information on Senegal, visit Britannica.com.

Senegal (sĕnĭgôl', sĕn'ĭgôl), officially Republic of Senegal, republic (2005 est. pop. 11,127,000), 76,124 sq mi (197,161 sq km), W Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Mauritania in the north, by Mali in the east, and by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in the south. The Republic of The Gambia is an enclave in the southwest. The capital and largest city of Senegal is Dakar.

Land

Most of the country is low-lying, with a maximum altitude of c.200 ft (60 m). However, the southeast, which forms a small part of the Fouta Djallon region, rises to c.1,400 ft (430 m). Senegal's coast (c.250 mi/400 km long) is sandy from Saint-Louis to Dakar, situated near the tip of the Cape Verde peninsula, and is swampy or muddy south of Dakar. The country is mostly covered with savanna, which becomes semidesert in the Sahel region of the north and northeast; the southwest is forested. The chief rivers of the country are the Senegal (which forms the boundary with Mauritania), the Falémé, the Gambia (Fr. Gambie), and the Casamance. Lake Guiers is located in the north. In addition to Dakar, other cities include Diourbel, Kaolack, Louga, M'Bour, Rufisque, Saint-Louis, Thiès, Touba, and Ziguinchor.

People

The chief ethnic groups are the Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Diola, Malinke, Soninke, and Tukolor. There are small numbers of Berbers, Europeans (mostly French), and Lebanese. French is the country's official language, and each ethnic group speaks its own language. More than 90% of the people are Muslim, belonging to one of four Sufi brotherhoods. The rest are either Christian or followers of traditional religious beliefs.

Economy

Senegal is primarily an agricultural country, but industry in the cities, especially Dakar, is growing. The principal food crops are millet, corn, sorghum, rice, and vegetables. Peanuts are the chief cash crop and the country's main agricultural export; they are grown primarily on small farms in the region between the Siné and Saloum rivers near Kaolack and Diourbel. Cotton is also grown and there is a sizable coastal fishing industry. Large numbers of cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, and goats are raised, although intermittent drought conditions can reduce their population. The principal minerals extracted are phosphate rock, high-grade iron ore, limestone, and gold. Offshore petroleum deposits are being explored.

Industries include peanut and fish processing, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, and ship construction and repair. Tourism and information technology are growing sectors of the economy. The west-central part of Senegal, which includes Saint-Louis, Louga, Dakar, Thiès, and Kaolack, is well served by railroads and major highways; a rail line runs from Dakar to Mali. Dakar is the country's leading port and also has an international airport. The chief imports are foodstuffs (especially rice), machinery, transportation equipment, and crude petroleum; the main exports (in addition to peanuts and peanut products) are processed fish, petroleum products, calcium phosphate, and cotton. France is by far Senegal's leading trade partner; Mali, India, and Nigeria also carry on a considerable trade with the country.

Government

Senegal is governed under the constitution of 2001 as amended. The president, who is the head of state, is directly elected to a five-year term and is eligible for a second term. The prime minister, who is the head of government, is appointed by the president. The bicameral Parliament consists of the 150-seat National Assembly, whose members are popularly elected for five-year terms, and the 100-seat Senate, whose members are appointed by the president (65) or indirectly elected. Administratively, the country is divided into eleven regions.

History

Early History

The Tukolor settled in the Senegal River valley in the 9th cent., and during the period from the 10th to 14th cent. their strong state of Tekrur dominated the valley. The Tukolor were converted to Islam and in the mid-11th cent. a group of them participated in establishing the Almoravid state, centered in Morocco. In the 14th cent. the Mali empire expanded westward from the region of the upper Niger River and conquered Tekrur. In the 15th cent. the Wolof established the Jolof empire in the region between the Senegal and the Siné rivers. Jolof was made up of a number of states (including Wolof, Cayor, Baol, and Walo); internal rivalries led to its breakup in the 17th cent.

Colonialism

In 1444-45, Portuguese explorers reached the mouth of the Senegal River; it and the Gambia River were used as routes to the interior. Trading stations were established at the mouths of the Senegal and Casamance rivers and on Gorée Island and at Rufisque, both located near present-day Dakar. In the 17th cent. the Portuguese were displaced by the Dutch and the French.

The French established a post at the mouth of the Senegal in 1638 and in 1659 founded Saint-Louis on an island there. In 1677, the French captured Gorée from the Dutch, and it was for a time the main French naval base in W Africa. André Brüe, who was director of the Royal Company of Senegal from 1697 to 1720, extended French influence far into the interior, increased the export of slaves, ivory, and gum arabic, and encouraged with little success the cultivation of cotton and cacao. Later the French companies active in Senegal had competition from Fulani and Mande merchants.

During the Seven Years War (1756-63), Great Britain captured all the French posts in Senegal, returning only Gorée in 1763, and joined them with its holdings along the Gambia River to form the short-lived colony of Senegambia, Britain's first colony in Africa. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), France regained its posts but surrendered Gorée to Britain under the Treaty of Paris (1783). During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain again captured France's holdings in Senegal, but they were returned in 1815. At this time, the French presence was limited to Saint-Louis, Gorée, and Rufisque, and during the first half of the 19th cent. there was little contact with the interior, whose trade was oriented to the north and east. As part of a French policy of assimilation, inhabitants of Saint-Louis and Gorée elected a deputy to the national assembly in Paris from 1848 to 1852 and (joined by the inhabitants of Rufisque and Dakar) from 1871 to independence in 1960.

During the period from 1854 to 1865 (except for 1862), Capt. Louis Faidherbe was governor of Senegal, and he extended French influence up the Senegal and along the Casamance and conquered Walo and Cayor. Faidherbe established schools for the Africans and halted the westward expansion of al-Hajj Umar, the Tukolor leader of the Tijaniyya brotherhood, who waged a large-scale holy war from a base in what is now Guinea beginning in the early 1850s. In 1895, Senegal was made a French colony, with its capital at Saint-Louis; it was part of French West Africa, headquartered from 1902 at Dakar.

Under the French, Senegal's trade was reoriented toward the coast, its output of peanuts increased dramatically, and railroads were built. During World War II, Senegal was aligned with the Vichy regime from 1940 to 1942 but then joined the Free French. In 1946, Senegal, together with the rest of French West Africa, became part of the French Union, and French citizenship was extended to all Senegalese. Politics in Senegal were led by its two deputies in the French national assembly, Lamine Gueye, whose base was in the coastal cities, and Léopold Sédar Senghor, whose political strength was derived from the rural areas of the interior. In 1948, Senghor founded the Senegalese Democratic Bloc, which dominated politics in Senegal in the 1950s. In 1956, a national assembly was set up in Senegal.

Independence and Modern Senegal

In late 1958, after Charles de Gaulle had come to power in France, Senegal became an autonomous republic within the French Community. In Jan., 1959, Senegal joined with the Sudanese Republic (the former French Sudan, now Mali) to form the Mali Federation, which became independent in June, 1960. On Aug. 20, 1960, Senegal withdrew from the federation, becoming an independent state within the French Community. At the time of independence, power was fairly evenly divided between the country's president, Léopold Senghor, and its prime minister, Mamadou Dia. In Dec., 1962, Dia staged an unsuccessful coup; he was arrested, and early in 1963 a new constitution was promulgated giving the president much additional power.

In 1966 the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS), headed by Senghor, became the country's only political party, and he was reelected overwhelmingly in 1968 and 1973. From the mid-1960s, however, there was considerable unrest in the country, caused by dissatisfaction with the growing concentration of power in Senghor's hands and by a declining economic situation resulting from lower world prices for peanuts and reduced aid from France. The economic situation was worsened by a long-term drought in the Sahel region of N Senegal that lasted from the late 1960s into the mid-1970s. Major demonstrations and strikes became an almost annual occurrence and were particularly disruptive in 1968, 1971, and 1973.

Senghor was a leading force in establishing (1974) the West African Economic Community, which linked six former French territories. Throughout the 1970s, Senghor continued to consolidate power in the presidency and strengthened relations with the country's Muslim leadership. In 1978, the government mandated a three-party system based on official ideological categories; a fourth party was legalized in 1979. Despite the institution of a system that effectively banned Senghor's opponents from the political process, opposition from unofficial political organizations grew steadily.

In 1981, Senghor, who remained head of the Socialist party (SP), yielded the presidency to Abdou Diouf. After a successful Senegalese intervention in a coup attempt in The Gambia, both countries officially proclaimed their union in a Senegambian confederation. Each nation was to maintain its sovereignty while consolidating their defense, economies, and foreign relations.

In response to mounting criticism of his regime, Diouf abolished government limits on the number of political parties. Deteriorating economic conditions led the government to adopt unpopular austerity measures, causing unrest in both rural and urban areas. The government subsequently strengthened the police force and restored some restrictions on political activity.

The elections of 1988, in which Diouf was reelected amid charges of fraud, took a violent turn, leading the regime to ban all public meetings. Two diplomatic crises arose in 1989: a maritime border dispute with Guinea-Bissau (later resolved by the International Court of Justice in favor of Senegal) and a violent dispute with Mauritania that evolved from a conflict over grazing rights in S Mauritania. In the same year, the confederation with The Gambia was dissolved.

Diouf was again elected in 1993. Legislative elections held in 1998 were won by the SP, as were elections for the newly created senate in 1999. Opposition parties boycotted the senate election. In the presidential elections in early 2000, however, Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic party defeated Diouf after a runoff; Wade's election ended nearly 40 years of Socialist rule in Senegal. In Jan., 2001, a new constitution was adopted, establishing a unicameral parliament and reducing the president's term to five years.

Casamance, an undeveloped region south of Gambia and centered on the Casamance River, has been the scene of a violent separatist movement since the 1980s. An agreement with the rebels there was signed in Mar., 2001, but the accord failed to end the fighting. In April, a coalition supporting President Wade won a majority in the national assembly. In Dec., 2004, a new cease-fire accord was signed with the Casamance rebels, but not all rebel factions supported the pact. The fighting there continued; in Aug., 2006, the government launched a significant new offensive against the rebels who had not signed the peace pact.

Wade was reelected in Feb., 2007, in an election African observers termed free and fair, but opposition parties accused the government of fraud. Wade's coalition won a overwhelming majority in the national assembly elections in June, 2007; the opposition largely boycotted that vote and the August balloting for senate seats. A proposed constitutional amendment to create a vice presidency, which many believed was designed to enable Wade's son to succeed him, led to violent protests in June, 2011, and it was not adopted.

Bibliography

See L. C. Behrman, Muslim Brotherhoods and Politics in Senegal (1970); G. W. Johnson, The Emergence of Black Politics in Senegal: The Struggle for Power in the Four Communes, 1900-1920 (1971); D. B. C. O'Brien, The Mourides of Senegal (1971); W. A. Skurnik, The Foreign Policy of Senegal (1972); L. G. Colvin, Historical Dictionary of Senegal (1981); R. Fatton, Jr., The Making of a Liberal Democracy: Senegal's Passive Revolution, 1975-1985 (1987); C. L. Delgado et al., The Political Economy of Senegal under Structural Adjustment (1991).


Republic in western Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south. Dakar is the capital and largest city.

  • Senegal was a French colony from 1895 to 1958. It became fully independent in 1960.

Dialing Code:

Senegal Republic

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The international dialing code for Senegal Republic is:   221


Maps:

Senegal

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Local Time:

Senegal

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It is 10:43 AM, February 12, in Senegal.

CIA World Factbook:

Senegal

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Click to enlarge flag of Senegal
Introduction
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 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 Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) 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. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. He was reelected in February 2007, but complaints of fraud led opposition parties to boycott June 2007 legislative polls. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
Geography
Map of Senegal
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:total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries:total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline:531 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Natural resources:fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use:arable land: 12.51%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 87.25% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:39.4 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):total: 2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
per capita: 190 cu m/yr (2002)
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
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
Population:13,711,597 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 42.2% (male 2,911,324/female 2,877,804)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 3,728,664/female 3,786,000)
65 years and over: 3% (male 190,343/female 217,462) (2009 est.)
Median age:total: 18.6 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 18.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:2.709% (2009 est.)
Birth rate:36.84 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate:10.72 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Urbanization:urban population: 42% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 58.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 59 years
male: 57.12 years
female: 60.93 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:4.95 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:1% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:67,000 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:1,800 (2007 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, dengue fever, malaria, Rift Valley fever, and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese
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%
Languages:French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 39.3%
male: 51.1%
female: 29.2% (2002 est.)
Education expenditures:5% of GDP (2006)
Government
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
Government type:republic
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
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Soulayemane Ndene NDIAYE (since 1 May 2009)
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; 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 Senate, reinstituted in 2007, (100 seats; 35 indirectly elected with the remaining 65 members to be appointed by the president) and 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)
elections: Senate - last held 19 August 2007 (next to be held - NA); 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, which resulted in a record-low 35% voter turnout
election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDS 34, AJ/PADS 1, 65 appointed by the president; National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 131, other 19
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]; Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar [Macky Sall]; And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; 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 [Amath DANSOKHO]; Jef-Jel [Talla SYLLA]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madior DIOUF]; People's Labor Party or PTP [El Hadji DIOUF]; Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE]; Rewmi Party [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:other: labor; students; Sufi brotherhoods, including the Mourides and Tidjanes; teachers
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP (associate), 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, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, 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 Marcia S. BERNICAT
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 33-829-2100
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
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 1995-2008. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the 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 and 2007. The phosphate industry has struggled for two years to secure capital, and reduced output has directly impacted GDP. In 2007, Senegal signed agreements for major new mining concessions for iron, zircon, and gold with foreign companies. Firms from Dubai have agreed to manage and modernize Dakar's maritime port, and create a new special economic zone. Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal has benefited from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt. In 2007, Senegal and the IMF agreed to a new, non-disbursing, Policy Support Initiative program.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$21.9 billion (2008 est.)
$20.92 billion (2007)
$20.08 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):$13.9 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.7% (2008 est.)
4.2% (2007 est.)
2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,600 (2008 est.)
$1,600 (2007 est.)
$1,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 16%
industry: 19.4%
services: 64.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:4.973 million (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 77.5%
industry and services: 22.5% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:48% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 33.4% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:41.3 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):25.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
Budget:revenues: $3.141 billion
expenditures: $3.799 billion (2008 est.)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Public debt:21.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):6.6% (2008 est.)
Central bank discount rate:4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:NA
Stock of money:$2.842 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:$1.579 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:$2.97 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:$NA
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; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:5% (2008 est.)
Electricity - production:2.28 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:1.657 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:36,200 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:4,298 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:40,450 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:50 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:50 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:NA cu m
Current account balance:-$2.078 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:$1.904 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners:Mali 18.9%, France 9.1%, Italy 5.9%, India 5.7%, The Gambia 5.2% (2007)
Imports:$4.654 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
Imports - partners:France 22.2%, Netherlands 10%, China 7.4%, UK 6.2%, Thailand 5.2%, Belgium 4.5% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.765 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:$2.528 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Currency (code):Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:XOF
Exchange rates:Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:269,100 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:4.123 million (2007)
Telephone system:general assessment: good 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; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
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) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:4 (2007)
Televisions:361,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.sn
Internet hosts:217 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2002)
Internet users:820,000 (2007)
Transportation
Airports:17 (2008)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2008)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2008)
Pipelines:gas 43 km; refined products 8 km (2008)
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) (2008)
Ports and terminals:Dakar
Military
Military branches:Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2008)
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 16-49: 2,943,619
females age 16-49: 2,955,179 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 2,038,508
females age 16-49: 2,207,510 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:male: 154,249
female: 153,679 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
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): 19,630 (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) (2007)
Illicit drugs:transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis


National Anthem:

National Anthem of: Senegal

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Pincez tous vos koras,frappez les balafons.
Le lion a rugi.
Le dompteur de la brousse
D'un bond s'est élancé
Dissipant les ténèbres.
Soleil sur nos terreurs,soleil sur notre espoir.
Debout, frères, voici l'Afrique rassemblée
fibres de mon coeur vert.
Épaule contre épaule, mes plus que frères,
O Sénégalais, debout !
Unissons la mer et les sources,unissons la steppe et la forêt !
Salut Afrique mère, salut Afrique mère.

by Paroles de L. S. Senghor

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'Senegal'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to Senegal, see:
  • Nations of the World - Senegal: Republic of; in W Africa; capital Dakar; area 75,750 sq. mi., pop. 7,740,000; French and Wolof; Muslim; franc


  See crossword solutions for the clue Senegal.
Republic of Senegal
République du Sénégal (French)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Un Peuple, Un But, Une Foi"  (French)
"One People, One Goal, One Faith"
Anthem: Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons
Everyone strum your koras, strike the balafons
Location of Senegal within the African Union
Location of Senegal within the African Union
Capital
(and largest city)
Dakar
14°40′N 17°25′W / 14.667°N 17.417°W / 14.667; -17.417
Official language(s) French
Recognised regional languages Wolof, Soninke, Serer, Fula, Maninka, Diola,[1]
Ethnic groups  Wolof 30.3%
Pular 33.8%
Serer 14.7%
Jola 3.7%
Mandinka 3%
Soninke 1.1%
European/Lebanese 1%
other 9.4%
Demonym Senegalese
Government Semi-presidential republic
 -  President Abdoulaye Wade
 -  Prime Minister Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye
Independence
 -  from France with French Sudan as the Mali Federation 20 June 1960 
 -  from Mali Federation 20 August 1960 
Area
 -  Total 196,723 km2 (87th)
76,000 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 2.1
Population
 -  2011 estimate 12,855,153[2] (67th)
 -  2002 census 9,967,299 
 -  Density 65.3/km2 (134th)
169.1/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate
 -  Total $23.274 billion[3] 
 -  Per capita $1,772[3] 
GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate
 -  Total $13.472 billion[3] 
 -  Per capita $1,026[3] 
Gini (1995) 41.3 (medium
HDI (2010) increase0.411 (low) (144th)
Currency CFA franc (XOF)
Time zone UTC
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code SN
Internet TLD .sn
Calling code 221

Senegal Listeni/ˌsɛnɨˈɡɔːl/ (French: le Sénégal), officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA: [ʁepyblik dy seneɡal]), is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north. Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds The Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, exempting Gambia's short Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi), and has an estimated population of about 13 million. The climate is tropical with two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season.

Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, is located at the westernmost tip of the country on the Cap-Vert peninsula. About 500 kilometres (300 mi) off the coast, in the Atlantic Ocean, lie the Cape Verde Islands. During the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous trading posts, belonging to various colonial empires, were established along the coast. The town of St. Louis became the capital of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, or AOF) before it was moved to Dakar in 1902. Dakar later became its capital in 1960 at the time of independence from France.

Contents

Etymology

The country is named after the Sénégal River, the etymology of which is contested (see the Senegal River article). One popular theory (proposed by David Boilat in 1853) is that it stems from the Wolof phrase sunu gaal, which means "our canoe" (or pirogue), resulting from a miscommunication between 15th C. Portuguese sailors and Wolof fishermen. Modern historians believe its name is probably a reference to the Berber Zenaga people who lived on the northern side of the river. A competing theory is that it derives from the Medieval town of "Sanghana" (also given as Isenghan, Asengan, Singhanah), described by the Arab geographer al-Bakri in 1068 as located by the mouth of the river. Nonetheless, the "our canoe" theory has been popularly embraced in modern Senegal for its charm and its use in appeals to national solidarity (e.g. "we're all in the same canoe") are frequently heard in the media.

Some Serer people from the south believe the river's name is originally derived from the compound of the Serer term "Sene" (from Roge Sene, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water").

History

Archaeological findings throughout the area indicate that Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times.

Senegal was part of the kingdom of Takrur in the 9th century and the Jolof kingdom, during the 13th and 14th centuries. In the mid 15th century, the Portuguese landed on the Senegal coastline, followed by other countries including the French. (Eric S. Ross, Culture and Customs of Senegal, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2008)

Eastern Senegal was once part of the Empire of Ghana. Modern Senegal has always been occupied by various ethnic groups. Around the 11th Century Islam became the religion of some Senegalese tribes though not in great numbers. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the area came under the influence of the empires to the east; the Jolof Empire of Senegal was also founded during this time. In the Senegambia region, between 1300 and 1900, close to one-third of the population was enslaved.[4] Various European powers—Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain—competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward, until in 1677, France ended up in possession of what had become a minor slave trade departure point—the island of Gorée next to modern Dakar, used as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland.[5][6]

Slave traders in Gorée, 18th century.

Some kingdoms were created around the 7th century: the Tekrour, the Namandirou kingdom and then the Djolof with distant ties to the Ghana empire. In the 14th century the Djolof kingdom became a powerful empire having regrouped the Cayor, the Baol, the Sine and Saloum, the Waalo, the Fouta-Toro and the Bambouk kingdoms. The empire was founded by Ndiadiane N’diaye, a Serer who was able to form a coalition with many ethnicities, but collapsed around 1549 with the defeat and killing of Lele Fouli Fak by Amari Ngone Sobel Fall. French colonialists progressively invaded and took over all kingdoms except Sine and Saloum under governor Louis Faidherbe.

Islam was introduced in Senegal during the 8th and 9th centuries by Berber merchants. They peacefully converted the Toucouleurs and Sarakholles who in turn propagated it.[citation needed] Later on, in the 11th century, the Almoravids, with the help of the Toucouleurs used Jihad as a mean of conversion. This movement faced resistance from ethnicities of traditional religion. Eventually, Berbers won a peaceful conversion thanks to the intervention of leaders like Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, El Hadj Malick Sy, and Seydina Limamou Laye who were able to convince their followers[citation needed] . They saw Islam as a way to unite and fight against colonial power[citation needed] . The populations were getting weary of repeated jihads and forced colonization. Europeans missionaries introduced Christianity to Senegal and the Casamance in the 19th century. An emblematic figure of Casamance is Aline Sitoe Diatta, a woman who led the resistance movement against European colonialists.[citation needed]

It was only in the 1850s that the French began to expand onto the Senegalese mainland (by now rid of slavery and promoting abolitionist doctrine), adding native chiefdoms such as Waalo, Cayor, Baol, and Jolof. Senegalese chiefs' resistance to the French expansion and curtailing of their lucrative slave trade was led in part by Lat-Dior, Damel (great chief) of Cayor.

In January 1959 Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent on 20 June 1960, as a result of the independence and the transfer of power agreement signed with France on 4 April 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on 20 August. Senegal and French Sudan (renamed the Republic of Mali) proclaimed independence. Léopold Senghor was proclaimed Senegal's first president in September 1960. Senghor was a very well read man, educated in France. He was a poet, a philosopher and personally drafted the Senegalese national anthem, "Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons". He was very pro-African, and also advocated a brand of African socialism.[7]

Colonial Saint Louis c. 1900. Europeans and Africans on the Rue Lebon.

In 1980, President Senghor decided to retire from politics, and he handed power over in 1981 to his handpicked successor, Abdou Diouf. Mamadou Dia ran for reelection in 1983 against Abdou Diouf but lost. Senghor moved to France where he later died at the age of 96.

Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia on 1 February 1982. However, the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group in the Casamance region had clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982. Senegal has had a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.[8]

Abdou Diouf was president between 1981 and 2000. He encouraged broader political participation, reduced government involvement in the economy, and widened Senegal's diplomatic engagements, particularly with other developing nations. Domestic politics on occasion spilled over into street violence, border tensions, and a violent separatist movement in the southern region of the Casamance. Nevertheless, Senegal's commitment to democracy and human rights strengthened. Abdou Diouf served four terms as president.

In the presidential election of 1999, opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade defeated Diouf in an election deemed free and fair by international observers. Senegal experienced its second peaceful transition of power, and its first from one political party to another. On 30 December 2004 President Abdoulaye Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with the separatist group in the Casamance region. This, however, has yet to be implemented. There was a round of talks in 2005, but the results did not yet yield a resolution.

Politics

Abdoulaye Wade, current president of Senegal

Senegal is a republic with a presidency; the president is elected every five years as of 2001, previously being seven years, by adult votes. The current president is Abdoulaye Wade, re-elected in March 2007.

Senegal has more than 80 political parties. The bicameral parliament consists of the National Assembly, which has 120 seats, and the Senate, which has 100 seats and was reinstituted in 2007.[8] An independent judiciary also exists in Senegal. The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council and the court of justice, members of which are named by the president.

Currently, Senegal has a quasi-democratic political culture, trying to be one of the more successful post-colonial democratic transitions in Africa. Local administrators are appointed by, and responsible to, the president. The marabouts, religious leaders of the various Senegalese Muslim brotherhoods, also exercise a strong political influence in the country. In 2009, however, Freedom House downgraded Senegal's status from 'Free' to 'Partially Free', based on increased centralisation of power in the executive.

In 2008, Senegal finished in 12th position on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance[9]. The Ibrahim Index is a comprehensive measure of African governance (limited to sub-Saharan Africa until 2008), based on a number of different variables which reflect the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to their citizens. When the Northern African countries were added to the index in 2009, Senegal's 2008 position was retroactively downgraded to 15th place (with Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco placing themselves ahead of Senegal), where it remains today according to the latest Ibrahim Index (for 2010)[9].

On 22 February 2011, it was reported that Senegal has severed diplomatic ties with Iran, saying Tehran supplied rebels with weapons which killed Senegalese troops.

Geography

Landscape of Casamance

Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. It lies between latitudes 12° and 17°N, and longitudes 11° and 18°W.

The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal's highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha at 584 m (1,916 ft). The northern border is formed by the Senegal River, other rivers include the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.

The Cape Verde islands lie some 560 kilometres (350 mi) off the Senegalese coast, but Cap Vert ("Cape Green") is a maritime placemark, set at the foot of "Les Mammelles", a 105-metre (344 ft) cliff resting at one end of the Cap Vert peninsula onto which is settled Senegal's capital Dakar, and 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south of the "Pointe des Almadies", the western-most point in Africa.

Climate

The local climate is tropical with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. The dry season (December to April) is dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind.[10] Dakar's annual rainfall of about 600 mm (24 in) occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 30 °C (86.0 °F) and minimums 24.2 °C (75.6 °F); December to February maximum temperatures average 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) and minimums 18 °C (64.4 °F).[11] Interior temperatures are higher than along the coast (for example, average daily temperatures in Kaolack and Tambacounda for May are 30 °C (86.0 °F) and 32.7 °C (90.9 °F) respectively, compared to Dakar's 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) ),[12] and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1,500 mm (59.1 in) annually in some areas. In the far interior of the country, in the region of Tambacounda, particularly on the border of Mali, temperatures can reach as high as 54 °C (129.2 °F).

Administrative divisions

Regions of Senegal

Senegal is subdivided into 14 regions,[13] each administered by a Conseil Régional (Regional Council) elected by population weight at the Arrondissement level. The country is further subdivided by 45 Départements, 103 Arrondissements (neither of which have administrative function) and by Collectivités Locales, which elect administrative officers.[14]

Regional capitals have the same name as their respective regions:





Major cities

Major cities in Senegal

Senegal's capital of Dakar is by far the largest city in Senegal, with over two million residents.[15] The second most populous city is Touba, a de jure communaute rurale (rural community), with half a million.[15][16]

City Population (2005)
Dakar (Dakar proper, Guédiawaye, and Pikine[16]) 2,145,193[15]
Touba (Touba Mosquee[16]) 475,755[15]
Thiès 240,152[15]
Kaolack 181,035[15]
M'Bour 170,875[15]
Saint-Louis 165,038[15]
Rufisque 154,975[15]
Ziguinchor 153,456[15]

Economy

Grand Market in Kaolack

After its economy retracted by 2.1% in 1993 Senegal instigated a major economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of the country's currency (the CFA franc). Government price controls and subsidies were also dismantled. As a result, Senegal's inflation went down, investments went up, and the gross domestic product rose approximately 5% a year between 1995 and 2001.[8]

The main industries include food processing, mining, cement, artificial fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, refining imported petroleum, and tourism. Exports include fish, chemicals, cotton, fabrics, groundnuts, and calcium phosphate, and the principal foreign market is India at 26.7 percent of exports (as of 1998). Other foreign markets include the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom.

As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal is also a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).[17]

Senegal realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a mini-boom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82 percent of GDP.[citation needed] On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated[citation needed] urban problems of chronic high unemployment, socioeconomic disparity, and juvenile delinquency[citation needed].

Senegal is a major recipient of international development assistance. Donors include USAID, Japan, France and China. Over 3000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Senegal since 1963.[18]

Demographics

Girls in Saint Louis
Population in Senegal, 1962–2004
A street market in Malem-Hodar

Senegal has a population of over 12.5 million,[2] about 42 percent of whom live in rural areas. Density in these areas varies from about 77 inhabitants per square kilometre (200 /sq mi) in the west-central region to 2 per square kilometre (5.2 /sq mi) in the arid eastern section.

According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Senegal has a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 23,800 in 2007. The majority of this population (20,200) is from Mauritania. Refugees live in N'dioum, Dodel, and small settlements along the Senegal River valley.[19]

Ethnicity

Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 45 percent; the Fula[20] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24 percent) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7 percent),[21] then others such as Jola (4 percent), Mandinka (3 percent), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9 percent). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.) It should be noted that Wolof percentage above is misleading because other tribes who have been Wolofized and speak the Wolof language are added to this figure when in actual fact they are not Wolofs at all.[22]

About 50,000 Europeans (mostly French) and Lebanese[23] as well as smaller numbers of Mauritanians and Moroccans reside in Senegal, mainly in the cities. The majority of Lebanese work in commerce.[24] Also located primarily in urban settings are small Vietnamese communities as well as a growing number of Chinese immigrant traders, each numbering perhaps a few hundred people.[25][26] There are also tens of thousands of Mauritanian refugees in Senegal, primarily in the country's north.[27]

French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur, and Serer is spoken by the Serer people.

Portuguese Creole is a prominent minority language in Ziguinchor, regional capital of the Casamance, where some residents speak Kriol, primarily spoken in Guinea-Bissau. Cape Verdeans speak their native creole, Cape Verdean Creole, and standard Portuguese.

Health

Public expenditure on health was at 2.4% of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure was at 3.5%.[28] Health expenditure was at US$ 72 (PPP) per capita in 2004.[28] The fertility rate was at about 5.2 in the early 2000s (decade).[28] There were 6 physicians per 100,000 persons in the early 2000s (decade).[28] Infant mortality was at 77 per 1,000 live births in 2005.[28] Malaria is the largest cause of infant mortality, but rates are dropping, thanks to the support of the President's Malaria Initiative.

Religion

Islam is the predominant religion in the country. Islam is practiced by approximately 90 percent of the country's population; the Christian community, at 10 percent of the population, includes Roman Catholics and diverse Protestant denominations. There is also a 1 percent population who maintain animism in their beliefs, particularly in the southeastern region of the country.[8] Some of the Serer people mostly follow the Serer religion.[29][30]

The Mosquée de la Divinité in Ouakam
The Dakar Cathedral

Islamic communities in Senegal are generally organized around one of several Islamic Sufi orders or brotherhoods, headed by a khalif (xaliifa in Wolof, from Arabic khalīfa), who is usually a direct descendant of the group’s founder. The two largest and most prominent Sufi orders in Senegal are the Tijaniyya, whose largest sub-groups are based in the cities of Tivaouane and Kaolack, and the Murīdiyya (Murid), based in the city of Touba.

The Halpulaar (Pulaar-speakers), composed of Fula people, a widespread group found along the Sahel from Chad to Senegal, and Toucouleurs, represent 20 percent[citation needed] of the Senegalese population. Historically, they were the first to become Muslim. Many of the Toucouleurs, or sedentary Halpulaar of the Senegal River Valley in the north, converted to Islam around a millennium ago and later contributed to Islam's propagation throughout Senegal.

Most communities south of the Senegal River Valley, however, were not thoroughly Islamized until the late 19th and early 20th centuries and when they converted, they converted on their own free will rather than by force, although force had been tried centuries earlier unsuccessfully especially among the Serer people.[31] During the mid-19th century, Islam became a banner of resistance against the traditional aristocracies[citation needed] and French colonialism, and Tijānī leaders Al-Hajj Umar Tall and Màbba Jaxu Ba established short-lived but influential Islamic states[citation needed] but were both killed in battle and their territories[clarification needed]then annexed by the French.

The spread of formal Quranic school (called daara in Wolof) during the colonial period increased largely through the effort of the Tijaniyya. In Murid communities, which place more emphasis on the work ethic than on literary Quranic studies, the term daara often applies to work groups devoted to working for a religious leader. Other Islamic groups include the much older Qādiriyya order and the Senegalese Laayeen order, which is prominent among the coastal Lebu. Today, most Senegalese children study at daaras for several years, memorizing as much of the Qur'an as they can. Some of them continue their religious studies at informal Arabic schools (majlis) or at the growing number of private Arabic schools and publicly funded Franco-Arabic schools. A modern messianic sect in Islam, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is also present in the country.

About 10% of the population of Senegal adheres to Christianity. Small Roman Catholic communities are mainly found in coastal Serer, Jola, Mankanya and Balant populations, and in eastern Senegal among the Bassari and Coniagui. The Protestant churches are mainly attended by immigrants but during the second half of the 20th century Protestant churches led by Senegalese leaders from different ethnic groups have evolved. In Dakar Catholic and Protestant rites are practiced by the Lebanese, Cape Verdean, European, and American immigrant populations, and among certain Africans of other countries as well as by the Senegalese themselves. Although Islam is Senegal's majority religion, Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was a Catholic Serer.

Serer religious symbol (the initiation of Ndut)

Serer religion has a imprint on both Senegalese and Gambian Muslim society in that, many Senegambian Muslim festivals such as "Tobaski", "Gamo", "Koriteh" and "Weri Kor" are all borrowed words from the Serer religion. They are ancient Serer festivals.[32][33][34]

Like their Serers neighbours, the Jola people also have their religion and customs. One of their major religious ceremonies is the Boukout.

There are small numbers of adherents of Judaism and Buddhism. Judaism is followed by members of several ethnic groups[who?], while Buddhism is followed by a number of Vietnamese.[citation needed] The Bahá'í Faith in Senegal was established after `Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, mentioned Africa as a place that should be more broadly visited by Bahá'ís.[35] The first Bahá'is to set foot in the territory of French West Africa that would become Senegal arrived in 1953.[36] The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Senegal was elected in 1966 in Dakar.[37] In 1975 the Bahá'í community elected the first National Spiritual Assembly of Senegal. The most recent estimate, by the Association of Religion Data Archives in a 2005 report details the population of Senegalese Bahá'ís at 22,000.[38]

Culture

Senegal is known across Africa for its musical heritage, due to the popularity of mbalax, which originated from the Serer percussive tradition, it has been popularized by Youssou N'Dour and others. Sabar drumming is especially popular. The sabar is mostly used in special celebrations like weddings. Another instrument, the tama, is used in more ethnic groups. Other popular international renown Senegalese musicians are Ismael Lô, Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal, Akon Thione Seck, Viviane, Titi, and Pape Diouf.

Senegal is well known for the West African tradition of storytelling, which is done by griots, who have kept West African history alive for thousands of years through words and music. The griot profession is passed down generation to generation and requires years of training and apprenticeship in genealogy, history and music. Griots give voice to generations of West African society.[39]


Education

Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution adopted in January 2001 guarantee access to education for all children.[40] Education is compulsory and free up to the age of 16.[40] The Ministry of Labor has indicated that the public school system is unable to cope with the number of children that must enroll each year.[40] Illiteracy is high, particularly among women.[28] The net primary enrollment rate was 69 % in 2005. Public expenditure on education was 5.4 % of the 2002–2005 GDP.

Hospitality

Hospitality, in theory, is given such importance in Senegalese culture that it is widely considered to be part of the national identity. The Wolof word for hospitality is "teranga", and it is so identified with the pride of Senegal that the national football team is known as the Lions of Teranga.[41][original research?]

See also

References

  1. ^ « La langue officielle de la République du Sénégal est le Français. Les langues nationales sont le Diola, le Malinké, le Pulaar, le Sérère, le Soninké, le Wolof et toute autre langue nationale qui sera codifiée. » − Extrait du site officiel du Example gouvernement sénégalais
  2. ^ a b ANSD (French)
  3. ^ a b c d "Senegal". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=722&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=38&pr.y=13. Retrieved 21 April 2010. 
  4. ^ Slavery. Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History.
  5. ^ ""Goree and the Atlantic Slave Trade", Philip Curtin, History Net, accessed 9 July 2008". H-net.org. http://www.h-net.org/~africa/threads/goree.html. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
  6. ^ Les Guides Bleus: Afrique de l'Ouest(1958 ed.), p. 123
  7. ^ A Critical bibliography of French literature: in three parts. The Twentieth. Edited by David Clark Cabeen, Richard A. Brooks, Douglas W. Alden
  8. ^ a b c d Central Intelligence Agency (2009). "Senegal". The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sg.html. Retrieved 10 January 2010. 
  9. ^ a b "The Ibrahim Index » Mo Ibrahim Foundation". Moibrahimfoundation.org. http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/en/section/the-ibrahim-index. Retrieved 03 Jan 2012. 
  10. ^ CIA factbook
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ [2]
  13. ^ Statoids page on Senegal (noting that three new regions were split off on 10 September 2008).
  14. ^ List of current local elected officials from Union des Associations d’ Elus Locaux (UAEL) du Sénégal. See also the law creating current local government structures: (French)Code des collectivités locales, Loi n° 96-06 du 22 mars 1996.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie (2005). "Situation économique et sociale du Sénégal" (in French) (PDF). Government of Senegal. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080625002308/http://www.ansd.org/SES2005.pdf. Retrieved 18 November 2008. 
  16. ^ a b c Forsberg, Jan. "Cities in Senegal". http://popofcities.com/senegalCITY.htm. Retrieved 18 November 2008. 
  17. ^ "OHADA.com: The business law portal in Africa". http://www.ohada.com/index.php. Retrieved 22 March 2009 
  18. ^ "Peace Corps Senegal". Pcsenegal.org. http://www.pcsenegal.org. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
  19. ^ "World Refugee Survey 2008". U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. 19 June 2008. http://www.refugees.org/survey. 
  20. ^ French: Peul; Fula: Fulɓe
  21. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ga.html CIA Factbook
  22. ^ African Census Analysis Project (ACAP). University of Pennsylvania. Ethnic Diversity and Assimilation in Senegal: Evidence from the 1988 Census by Pierre Ngom, Aliou Gaye and Ibrahima Sarr. 2000
  23. ^ Senegal (03/08), U.S. Department of State
  24. ^ Lebanese Immigrants Boost West African Commerce, By Naomi Schwarz, voanews.com, 10 July 2007
  25. ^ Phuong, Tran (9 July 2007). "Vietnamese Continue Traditions in Senegal". Voice of America. http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-09-voa19.cfm. Retrieved 27 August 2008 [dead link]
  26. ^ Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (17 January 2008). "A troubled frontier: Chinese migrants in Senegal". South China Morning Post. http://www.caitlinfitzsimmons.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/caitlin1.pdf. Retrieved 31 March 2009 
  27. ^ "Boost for the reintegration of Mauritanian returnees". UNHCR News. 26 November 2008. http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/492d41584.html. Retrieved 12 January 2010 
  28. ^ a b c d e f "Human Development Report 2009 – Senegal". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_SEN.html. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
  29. ^ By Alice L. Conklin. "A mission to civilize: the republican idea of empire in France and West Africa, 1895–1930." p27. Published: Stanford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0804729999
  30. ^ Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International
  31. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SvAGAeQNo7oC&pg=PA151&dq=serer+animism&hl=en&ei=tVRGTrm7LYSx8QP0htTOBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=2&ved=0CDYQuwUwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
  32. ^ Henry Gravrand. La Civilisation Sereer, I. Coosan, Dakar, Nouvelles Editions Africaines (1983)
  33. ^ Essai sur l’histoire du Saloum et du Rip, par Abdou Bouri Ba. Avant-propos par Charles Becker et Victor Martin, BIFAN, Tome 38, Série B, n° 4, octobre 1976, p. 813-860.
  34. ^ Alioune Sarr. Histoire du Sine-Saloum. Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3-4, 1986-1987
  35. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1991) [1916–17]. Tablets of the Divine Plan (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. 47–59. ISBN 0877432333. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/TDP/tdp-8.html.iso8859-1. 
  36. ^ Hassall, Graham (c. 2000). "Egypt: Baha'i history". Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies: Bahá'í Communities by country. Bahá'í Online Library. http://bahai-library.com/asia-pacific/country%20files/egypt.htm. Retrieved 24 May 2009. 
  37. ^ Bahá'í International Community (28 December 2003). "National communities celebrate together". Bahá'í International News Service. http://hfa01.news.bahai.org/story/283 
  38. ^ "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. http://www.thearda.com/QuickLists/QuickList_40c.asp. Retrieved 4 July 2009. 
  39. ^ Eric S. Ross, Culture and Customs of Senegal, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2008
  40. ^ a b c "Senegal". 2005 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor (2006). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  41. ^ Eric S. Ross, Culture and Customs of Senegal, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2008

Further reading

  • Babou, Cheikh Anta, Fighting the Greater Jihad: Amadu Bamba and the Founding of the Muridiyya of Senegal, 1853-1913, (Ohio University Press, 2007)
  • Behrman, Lucy C, Muslim Brotherhood and Politics in Senegal, (iUniverse.com, 1999)
  • Buggenhage, Beth A, Muslim Families in Global Senegal: Money Takes Care of Shame, (Indiana University Press, 2012)
  • Bugul, Ken, The Abandoned Baobab: The Autobiography of a Senegalese Woman, (University of Virginia Press, 2008)
  • Foley, Ellen E, Your Pocket is What Cures You: The Politics of Health in Senegal, (Rutgers University Press, 2010)
  • Gellar, Sheldon, Democracy in Senegal: Tocquevillian Analytics in Africa, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005)
  • Glover, John, Sufism and Jihad in Modern Senegal: The Murid Order, (University of Rochester Press, 2007)
  • Kane, Katharina, Lonely Planet Guide: The Gambia and Senegal, (Lonely Planet Publications, 2009)
  • Kueniza, Michelle, Education and Democracy in Senegal, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011)
  • Mbacké, Khadim, Sufism and Religious Brotherhoods in Senegal, (Markus Wiener Publishing Inc., 2005)
  • Ross, Eric S, Culture and Customs of Senegal, (Greenwood, 2008)
  • Streissguth, Thomas, Senegal in Pictures, (Twentyfirst Century Books, 2009)
  • Various, Insight Guide: Gambia and Senegal, (APA Publications Pte Ltd., 2009)
  • Various, New Perspectives on Islam in Senegal: Conversion, Migration, Wealth, Power, and Femininity, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)
  • Various, Senegal: Essays in Statecraft, (Codesria, 2003)
  • Various, Street Children in Senegal, (GYAN France, 2006)

External links

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Translations:

Senegal

Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - Senegal

Français (French)
n. - Sénégal

Deutsch (German)
n. - Senegal

Português (Portuguese)
n. - Senegal

Español (Spanish)
n. - Senegal

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
塞内加尔

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 塞內加爾

한국어 (Korean)
세네갈 (아프리카 서부에 있는 공화국; 수도 Dakar)

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮סנגל‬


 
 
Related topics:
senegal
.sn (abbreviation)
Sinegal (family name)

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