from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Senegal
Introduction
Background: Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by
the Socialist Party for forty years until current
President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal
joined with The Gambia to form the nominal
confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged
integration of the two countries was never carried out,
and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern
separatist group sporadically has clashed with
government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one
of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a
long history of participating in international
peacekeeping.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic 14 00 N, 14 00 W
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than South Dakota
comparative:
Land total: 2,640 km
boundaries: border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km,
Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
Natural fish, phosphates, iron ore
resources:
Land use: arable land: 12.51%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 87.25% (2005)
Irrigated 1,200 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
hazards:
Environment - wildlife populations threatened by poaching;
current deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
issues: desertification; overfishing
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
Geography - westernmost country on the African continent; The
note: Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
People
Population: 11,987,121 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 19.1 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.34% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 32.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 52.94 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 49.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 59.25 years
expectancy at male: 57.7 years
birth: female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.8% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 44,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 3,500 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow
fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley
fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
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: 40.2%
male: 50%
female: 30.7% (2003 est.)
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 republic
type:
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 11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar,
divisions: Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam,
Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete
independence was achieved upon dissolution of
federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
holiday:
Constitution: new 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 chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April
branch: 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21
April 2004)
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 under prior
constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19
March 2000 (next to be held February 2007); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president;
percent of vote in the second round of voting -
Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51%
Legislative unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
branch: (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the
spring of 2001, had 140 seats
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held in
February 2007) note - the National Assembly in December
2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally
scheduled for 2006, they will now coincide with
presidential elections in 2007
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
Judicial Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final
branch: Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals
Political African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef
parties and (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary
leaders: general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout
DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha
NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP
(also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM];
Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr.
Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy
or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye 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]; 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]; other small parties
Political labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
participation: IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMOVIC,
UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
representation chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS
representation embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber,
from the US: Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 823-4296
FAX: [221] 822-2991
Flag three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
description: 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 - In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious
overview: 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 1995-2004. Annual
inflation had been pushed down to the low single
digits. As a member of the West African Economic and
Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward
greater regional integration with a unified external
tariff and a more stable monetary policy. However,
Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor
assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal will
benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its
bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt.
GDP $20.57 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $7.972 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.1% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,800 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 17.2%
composition by industry: 20.9%
sector: services: 61.9% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.82 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 77%
by occupation: industry and services: 23% (1990 est.)
Unemployment 48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.)
rate:
Population 54% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.6%
income or highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 41.3 (1995)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 1.7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 20.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.657 billion
expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital
expenditures of $357 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: 46% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes,
products: green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining,
fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction
materials, ship construction and repair
Industrial 3.1% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.332 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 1.239 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 31,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 50 million cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 50 million cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Current $-848 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $1.526 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products,
commodities: phosphates, cotton
Exports - Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy
partners: 5.5%, Gambia, The 4.6% (2005)
Imports: $2.405 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
commodities:
Imports - France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand
partners: 4.3%, US 4.2%, UK 4% (2005)
Reserves of $1.191 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $3.529 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $449.6 million (2003 est.)
recipient:
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
(code): responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
rates: dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003),
696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 266,600 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.73 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: good system
system: domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk
system
international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 1.24 million (1997)
Television 1 (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 361,000 (1997)
Internet .sn
country code:
Internet 412 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 540,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 20 (2006)
Airports - total: 9
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 11
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 43 km (2006)
Railways: total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 13,576 km
paved: 3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,604 km (2003)
Waterways: 1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance
rivers) (2005)
Ports and Dakar
terminals:
Military
Military Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese
branches: Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2005)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service age service; conscript service obligation - two years
and (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,443,840
available for females age 18-49: 2,461,939 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,558,175
for military females age 18-49: 1,642,533 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 129,331
reaching females age 18-49: 129,398 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $117.3 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.4% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese
international: citizens from the Casamance region fleeing separatist
violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 19,778 (Mauritania)
internally IDPs: 17,000 (clashes between government troops and
displaced separatists in Casamance region) (2005)
persons:
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian
heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and
North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis