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Senegal is a West African country. Located in the
westernmost part of the African continent, it covers an
area of 196 190 km2. It is bathed by the
Atlantic Ocean in the west, and borders Mauritania in
the north and northeast, in Mali in the east, in Guinea
and in Guinea-Bissau in the south, and in the Gambia, a
landlocked country. within its territory and with a
narrow coastal strip. The main cities are Dakar, the
capital, with 2 613 700 inhabitants (2004), Thiès (307
400 inhab.), Kaolack (275 500 inhab.), Ziguinchor (244
000 inhab.) And Saint-Louis (171 300 inhab. ). Most of
the Senegalese territory consists of sandy plains. The
climate is relatively arid, especially in the North. It
integrates the so-called Sahel, characterized by the
great irregularity of the rains. Drought directly
influences vegetation cover, which is made up of thin
steppes in the North and savannah in the rainiest areas
of the South.
Economy
The Senegalese economy was marked in time by the
monoculture of peanuts, the country being one of the
major producers of oil peanut butter. Vegetables and
rice, together with millet, are the staple food of
farmers. Senegal has a large deficit in cereals. Major
hydraulic projects have been carried out, especially on
the Senegal River, with the aim of increasing the
irrigated area.
The main industries are linked to petroleum products,
crushing peanuts, preparing fish for export (its main
wealth), fertilizers, textiles and leather. The film
industry headquartered in the capital is the center of
film production in black Africa. Senegal's main trading
partners are France, Italy, Cameroon and
Mali. Environmental indicator: the value of carbon
dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons,
1999), is 0.4.
Population
The population in 2006 was 11 987 121 inhabitants. The
population density is 56.71 inhab./km2. The
birth and death rates are respectively 32.78% and
9.42%. Average life expectancy is 59.25 years. The value
of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.430 and the
value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is
0.420 (2001). It is estimated that in 2025 the
population will be 18 732 000 inhabitants.
The most numerous ethnic group is the jalophos, which
make up 43% of the population, followed by serer (15%),
fulas (14%), tukulor (9%), diolas (5%) and mandingas
(4%). The Azerbaijani Berbers from Mauritania invaded
the region in the 11th century and converted the
inhabitants to Islam. The official language is French.
History
In the 15th century, the Portuguese were the first
Europeans to establish commercial contacts with the
territory, but only the arrival of the French, from the
17th century onwards, would strongly mark Senegalese
culture. French colonial policy was made through an
indirect administration, using the local chiefs as
intermediaries and collaborators. In the main cities -
Dakar, Gorée and Saint-Louis - direct administration was
exercised by French citizens. It was the only colony
where French citizenship was granted to Africans. The
official language is still French today.
After independence, in 1960, the Republic of Senegal
experienced a political path inspired by the so-called
Islamic socialism, disseminated by a group of
associations, schools and newspapers, from which Léopold
Sédar Senghor stood out, as the main theorist of the
democratic system and President of the Republic. In 1982
Senegal joined the Gambia to form the Senegambia
confederation, through a pact that united common
institutions and an integration of the armed and
security forces. Senegambia was dissolved in 1989, due
to differences between the two countries.
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