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Introduction
Background : Independent from France in
1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the
nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982.
However, the envisaged integration of the two
countries was never carried out, and the union
was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a
southern separatist group sporadically has
clashed with government forces since 1982.
Senegal has a long history of participating in
international peacekeeping.
Geography
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
- 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 :
contiguous zone : 24
NM
exclusive economic
zone : 200 NM or to the edge of the continental
margin
exclusive
economic zone : 200 NM
territorial sea : 12 NM
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%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures : 16%
forests and woodland : 54%
other : 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land :
710 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards :
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic
droughts
Environment - current issues : wildlife
populations threatened by poaching;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; overfishing
Environment - international agreements :
party to :
Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not
ratified :
Marine Dumping
Geography - note :
westernmost country
on the African continent; The Gambia is almost
an enclave of Senegal
People
Age
structure :
0-14
years : 44.07% (male 2,279,996; female
2,252,255)
15-64 years :
52.88% (male 2,603,829; female 2,834,328)
65 years and over : 3.05%
(male 155,877; female 158,644) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate :
2.93% (2001 est.)
Birth rate : 37.46 births/1,000
population (2001 est.)
Death rate : 8.35 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate :
0.21
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio :
at
birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.92
male(s)/female
65 years
and over : 0.98 male(s)/female
total population : 0.96 male(s)/female
(2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate :
56.75
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
:
total population :
62.56 years
male : 60.94
years
female : 64.22
years (2001 est.)
Total
fertility rate :
5.12 children born/woman
(2001 est.)
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 92%, indigenous
beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Literacy :
definition : age 15 and over can read and
write
total population :
33.1%
male : 43%
female : 23.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Government type :
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital : Dakar
Administrative
divisions :
10 regions (regions, singular -
region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack,
Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies,
Ziguinchor
Independence : 4 April 1960 (from
France); complete independence was achieved upon
dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August
1960
National holiday :
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution : 3 March
1963, revised 1991
Legal
system : based on French civil law system;
judical review of legislative acts in
Constitutional Count; the Council of State
audits the government's accounting office; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage : 18 years of
age; universal
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 is linked at a fixed rate to the
French franc. Government price controls and
subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After
seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993,
Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to
the reform program, with real growth in GDP
averaging 5% annually in 1995-99. Annual
inflation has been pushed down to 2%, and the
fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of
GDP. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP
in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a member of the
West African Economic and Monetary Union
(UEMOA), Senegal is working toward greater
regional integration with a unified external
tariff. Senegal also realized full internet
connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in
information technology-based services. Private
activity now accounts for 82% of GDP. On the
negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban
problems of chronic unemployment, juvenile
delinquency, and drug addiction. Real GDP growth
is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is
likely to hold at 2% in 2001-02.
GDP :
purchasing power
parity - $16 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate :
5.7% (2000 est.)
GDP -
per capita :
purchasing power parity -
$1,600 (2000 est.)
GDP -
composition by sector :
agriculture : 19%
industry : 20%
services : 61% (1997 est.)
Population below
poverty line : NA%
Household income or consumption by
percentage share :
lowest 10% : 1.4%
highest 10% : 42.8% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices ) :
1.5% (2000 est.)
Labor
force : NA
Labor
force - by occupation : agriculture 60%
Unemployment rate : NA%;
urban youth 40%
Budget :
revenues : $885 million
expenditures : $885 billion, including
capital expenditures of $125 million (1996 est.)
Industries :
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate
mining, fertilizer production, petroleum
refining, construction materials
Industrial production growth
rate : 7% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production :
1.27 billion
kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source :
fossil fuel : 100%
hydro : 0%
nuclear
: 0%
other : 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption :
1.181
billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports :
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity -
imports :
0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products :
peanuts,
millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes,
green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Exports : $959
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - Commodities :
fish, ground
nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates,
cotton
Exports - partners
:
France 17, India 17%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%,
Mali 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4% (1999)
Imports : $1.3 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities :
foods and
beverages, consumer goods, capital goods,
petroleum products
Imports - partners :
France 30%,
Nigeria 7%, Italy 6%, Thailand 5%, Germany 4%,
US 4% (1999)
Debt
- external : $4.1 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient :
$647.5 million (1995)
Currency code : XOF
Fiscal year : calendar year
Transportation
Railways :
total : 906 km
narrow gauge : 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70
km double-track)
Highways : total : 14,576 km
paved : 4,271 km
unpaved : 10,305 km (1996)
Waterways : 897
km
note : 785 km on the
Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river
Ports and harbors :
Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll,
Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor
Airports : 20 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved
runways : total : 10
over 3,047 m : 1
1,524 to 2,437 m : 7
914 to 1,523 m : 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved
runways : total : 10
1,524 to 2,437 m : 5
914 to 1,523 m : 4
under 914 m : 1 (2000 est.)
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