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Senegal
*** Shopping-Tip: Senegal
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'''République du Sénégal'''
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Image:Flag of Senegal.svg 125px|
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Image:Coat of arms of Senegal.png 100px
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Flag of Senegal In Detail)
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Coat of Arms of Senegal In Detail)
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''List of state mottos National motto: Un Peuple, Un But, Une Foi
(French language French: One People, One Goal, One Faith)''
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image:LocationSenegal.png
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| '''
Official languages'''
|
French language French
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| '''
Capital'''
|
Dakar
|-
| '''
List of Presidents of Senegal President'''
|
Abdoulaye Wade
|-
| '''
Prime Minister of Senegal Prime Minister'''
|
Macky Sall
|-
| '''
Area'''
- Total
- % water
|
List of countries by area Ranked 85th 196,190
square kilometre km² 2.1%
|-
| '''
Population'''
- Total (
2005)
-
Population density Density
|
List of countries by population Ranked 73rd 11,126,832
56.7/km²
|-
| "'
GDP PPP"'
| $20.56 Billion (113)
|-
| "'
GDP per capita"'
| $1,800 (188)
|-
|'''
Human Development Index HDI''' (
2003) .html">List of countries by Human Development Index
157th) –
low
|-
| '''
Independence'''
- Date
| From
FranceJune 20,
1960
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| '''
Currency'''
|
CFAF CFA Franc
|-
| '''
Time zone'''
|
Coordinated Universal Time UTC 0
|-
| '''
National anthem'''
| ''
Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons''
|-
| '''
Top-level domain Internet TLD'''
|
.sn
|-
| '''
List of country calling codes Calling Code'''
| 221
|}The '''Republic of Senegal''' is a country south of the
Senegal River in
West Africa. Senegal is bounded by the
Atlantic Ocean to the west,
Mauritania to the north,
Mali to the east, and
Guinea and
Guinea-Bissau to the south.
The Gambia forms an
enclave within Senegal, following the
Gambia River more than 300 km inland. The
Cape Verde islands lie some 560 km off the Senegalese
coast.
History
''Main article:
History of Senegal''
Archaeological findings throughout the area indicate that Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times.
Islam, the dominant religion in Senegal, first came to the region in the
11th century. Today, 95% of Senegalese are Muslims. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the area came under the influence of the
Mandingo empires to the east; the
Jolof Empire of Senegal also was founded during this time. Various
European powers came to the area from the
15th century onward, until
France ended up in possession of what had become an important
slave trade departure point. Independence from
France was gained in 1960, on April the 4th.
In January 1959, Senegal and the
French Sudan merged to form the
Mali Federation, which became fully independent on
June 20 1960, as a result of the independence and the transfer of power agreement signed with
France on
April 4 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on
August 20. Senegal and Sudan (renamed the Republic of
Mali) proclaimed independence.
Léopold Senghor was elected Senegal's first president in August 1960.
After the breakup of the Mali Federation, President Senghor and Prime Minister
Mamadou Dia governed together under a parliamentary system. In December 1962, their political rivalry led to an attempted coup by Prime Minister Dia. Although this was put down without bloodshed, Dia was arrested and imprisoned, and Senegal adopted a new constitution that consolidated the President's power. In 1980, President Senghor decided to retire from politics, and he handed power over in 1981 to his handpicked successor,
Abdou Diouf.
Senegal joined with
The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of
Senegambia on
February 1 1982. However, the union was dissolved in
1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group in the
Casamance region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
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. Diouf served four terms as President. In the presidential election of 2000, he was defeated, in a free and fair election, by opposition leader
Abdoulaye Wade. Senegal experienced its second peaceful transition of power, and its first from one political party to another.
On
December 30 2004 President
Abdoulaye Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with the separatist group in the
Casamance region.
Geography
Image:Sg-map.png framed|Map of Senegal
{{main|Geography of Senegal}}
Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. 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 581 m. The northern border is formed by the
Senegal River, other rivers include the
Gambia River Gambia and
Casamance Rivers. The capital
Dakar lies on the
Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental
Africa.
Image:Senegal2.jpg 200px|left|thumb|Huts in the countryside
The local
climate is
tropical climate tropical with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. Dakar's annual
rainfall of about 24 in (600 mm) occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 27°C; December to February minimum temperatures are about 17°C. Interior temperatures are higher than along the coast, and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1500 mm annually in some areas.
Politics
{{main|Politics of Senegal}}
Senegal is a republic with a powerful presidency; the president is
Elections in Senegal elected every seven years, amended in 2001 to every five years, by universal adult
suffrage. The current president is
Abdoulaye Wade.
Senegal also has 65
political party political parties which contribute to development of the country through working towards a successful transition to democracy in the country, and even among other developing countries on the African continent. The unicameral
National Assembly of Senegal National Assembly has 120 members elected separately from the president. A single house legislature, and a fair and independent judiciary also exist 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.
Senegal has a reputation for transparency in government operations. The level of economic
political corruption corruption that has damaged the development of the economies in other parts of the world is very low. Today Senegal has a democratic political culture, being part of one of the most successful democratic transitions in Africa. Senegal recognizes and respects all cultures, religions and traditions.
Local administrators are all appointed by and responsible to the President. 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 separatist group in the southern
Casamance region has sporadically clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international
UN peacekeeping peacekeeping.
Economy
''Main article:
Economy of Senegal''
Image:SenegalStreet.jpg 300px|right|thumb|Street vendors
In January
1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform programme with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50 % devaluation of Senegal's currency, the
CFAF CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the former French
franc and now to the
euro. 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 programme, with real growth in
Gross Domestic Product GDP averaging 5 % annually during
1995-
2001. Annual
inflation had been pushed down to less than 1 %, but rose to an estimated 3.3 % in 2001. 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 (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external
tariff. Senegal also realised 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,
socioeconomic disparity,
juvenile delinquency, and
drug addiction.
Demographics
Image:Senegal-demography.png thumb|right|Senegal's population 1961-2003
{{main|Demographics of Senegal}}
Senegal has a population of some 10 million, about 70% of whom live in rural areas. Density in these areas varies from about 77
square metre km² in the west-central region to 2 km² in the arid eastern section.
Ethnicity
Senegal has a
Indigenous cultures, kingdoms and ethnic groups of Senegal wide variety of ethnic groups and, accordingly, multiple languages are spoken.
French language French is the official language but is used regularly only by the literate minority. The
Wolof people Wolof are the largest single group in Senegal at 43%, other ethnic groups include the
Fula (24%), the
Serer (15%), the
Jola people Jola (4%),
Mandinka people Mandinka (3%), beside numerous smaller communities. About 50,000
Europeans (mostly
France French) and
Lebanon Lebanese reside in Senegal, mainly in the cities. Among
those cities as well, there are also some
Chinese people Chinese and
Vietnamese people Vietnamese minorities.
Religion
Senegal recognizes and respects all cultures, religions, and traditions.
Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 94% of the country's population; the
Christianity Christian community, at 4% of the population, includes
Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholics and diverse
Protestant denominations.
=Islam
=
Image:Senegal Grande Mosquee de Ouakam 800x600.jpg thumb|Grande Mosquee de Ouakam, Senegal
Islamic communities are generally organized around one of several Islamic
Sufi orders or brotherhoods, headed by a ''
khalif'' (''xaliifa'' in
Wolof language Wolof, from
Arabic language 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
Murid Murīdiyya (Murid), based in the city of
Touba, Senegal Touba. The
Halpulaar, a widespread ethnic group found along the Sahel from Chad to Senegal, representing 20% of the Senegalese population, were the first to be converted to Islam. The Halpulaar, composed of various
Fula people groups, named ''Peuls'' and ''
Toucouleurs'' in Senegal. 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 nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During the mid-nineteenth century, Islam became a banner of resistance against the traditional aristocracies and French colonialism, and TijÄ?nÄ« leaders
Al-Hajj Umar Tall and
MÃ bba Jaxu Ba established short-lived but influential Islamic states but were both killed in battle and their empires than 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
Qadiriyya QÄ?diriyya order and the Senegalese
Layene Laayeen order, which is prominent among the coastal Lebu. Today, most Senegalese children study at ''daara''s 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.
=Christianity
=
Small Roman Catholic communities are mainly found in coastal
Serer,
Jola people Jola and
Balant populations, and in Oriental Senegal among the
Bassari and
Coniagui. In
Dakar, Catholic and Protestant rites are also practiced by a portion of the Lebanese, Capeverdian, European, and American immigrant population, and among certain Africans of other countries. Although Islam is Senegal's majority religion, Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was a Catholic Serer.
Administrative Divisions
Image:Sine Saloum Mangrove.jpg thumb|Sine Saloum Mangrove in Mar Lodj, Senegal
Image:River gambia Niokolokoba National Park.gif thumb|The Gambia River winds through the Niokolokoba National Park, Senegal
''Main articles:
Regions of Senegal,
Departments of Senegal''
Senegal is divided into 11 regions (''régions''), and then subdivided into 34
departments (''départements''), 94
arrondissements, and various
communes.
The
Regions of Senegal regions include:
*
Dakar Region Dakar
*
Diourbel Region Diourbel
*
Fatick Region Fatick
*
Kaolack Region Kaolack
*
Kolda Region Kolda
*
Louga Region Louga
*
Matam Region Matam
*
Saint-Louis Region Saint-Louis
*
Tambacounda Region Tambacounda
*
Thiès Region Thiès
*
Ziguinchor Region Ziguinchor
Departments: see
Departments of Senegal
Arrondissements: see
Arrondissements of Senegal
Culture
Image:SenegalMbour.jpg Mbour.html" title="Meaning of right right|200px|thumb|On the beach at [[Mbour.html" title="Meaning of 200px|thumb|On the beach at [[Mbour">right|200px|thumb|On the beach at [[Mbour">200px|thumb|On the beach at [[Mbour">right|200px|thumb|On the beach at [[Mbour
Image:DakarMarket.jpg thumb|Dakar market
''Main article:
Culture of Senegal''
*
Cinema of Senegal
*
List of African writers (by country)#Senegal List of writers from Senegal
*
List of Senegalese
*
Music of Senegal
*
Ousmane Sembène ''This Senegalese writer and film director is considered to be the 'father' of
African Cinema.''
Miscellaneous topics
*
Communications in Senegal
*
Foreign relations of Senegal
*
Indigenous cultures, kingdoms and ethnic groups of Senegal
*
Military of Senegal
*
Transportation in Senegal
*
Education in Senegal
*
University of Dakar
External links
{{sisterlinks|Senegal}}
'''Government'''
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.gouv.sn Gouvernement du Sénégal] - Official governmental website (in French)
-
Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in London government information and links
-
Ministère de l'urbanisme
-
Observatoire sur les systemes d'information, reseaux et inforoutes
'''News'''
-
allAfrica.com - ''Senegal'' news headline links
'''Overviews'''
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.lafrique.com/afrique/articles/5/ '''L'Afrique - Sénégal'''] '''Hundreds of photographs and articles'''
-
BBC News Country Profile - ''Senegal''
-
CIA World Factbook - ''Senegal''
-
Open Directory Project - ''Senegal'' directory category
-
MSN encarta Senegal overview
'''Maps'''
-
UN Map on Senegal
'''Music'''
-
Cora Connection West African music resources
'''Tourism'''
*{{wikitravel}}
'''Other'''
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.teranga-senegal.com Teranga Senegal] - French Portal - Travel guide (in French)
-
- ''Senegal Pictures''
-
Site on Senegal with maps, tourism, ...
-
Very good site on Senegal with maps, culture, ...
-
Senegal shows tolerant face of Islam ...
{{Africa}}
Category:African Union member states
Category:Peace and Security Council
Category:Senegal
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{{sisterlinkswp|Category:Senegal}}
{{commonscat|Senegal}}
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*** Shopping-Tip: Senegal
