1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Coastline
531 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the Futa Jaldon foothills 581 m
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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geographic coordinates
14 00 N, 14 00 W
Geography-note
The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
Irrigated land
710 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 54% other: 18% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Natural resources
fish, phosphates, iron ore
Terrain
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,331,388; female 2,343,654) 15-64 years: 49% (male 2,273,200; female 2,504,063) 65 years and over: 3% (male 132,671; female 138,173) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
44.38 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
11.05 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%
Infant mortality rate
61.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 57.37 years male: 54.55 years female: 60.28 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.1% male: 43% female: 23.2% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
9,723,149 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
3.33% (1998 est.)
Religions
Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.18 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 regions (regions, singular-region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Constitution
3 March 1963, revised 1991
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal
Data code
SG
Executive branch
chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdou DIOUF reelected president; percent of vote-Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57%
FAX
[221] 22 29 91
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
Government type
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Independence
4 April 1960 from France; complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 (The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dane Farnsworth SMITH, Jr. embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 23 42 96, 23 34 24
Judicial branch
under the terms of a reform of the judicial system implemented in 1992, the principal organs of the judiciary are as follows; Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And-Jef/PADS (also PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary-general]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP Garab-Gi [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Independent Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Senegalese Democratic Party-Renewal or PDS-R [Serigne Lamine DIOP, Secretary General]; Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal or UDS-R [Mamadou Puritain FALL]; Socialist Party or PS [President Abdou DIOUF]; other small parties Political pressure groups and leaders: students; teachers; labor; Muslim Brotherhoods
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; Senegal has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (140 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 24 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003) election results: percent of vote by party-PS 50.19%, PDS 19%, UDS-R 13%, And/Jef-PADS 5%, LD/MPT 4%, CDP/Garab-Gi 2%, FSD 1%, PDS-R 1%, RND 1%, BCG 1%, and PIT 1% ; seats by party-PS 93, PDS 23, UDS-R 11, And-Jef/PADS 4, LD-MPT 3, CDP/Garab-Gi 1, FSD 1, PDS-R 1, RND 1, BCG 1, and PIT 1
National capital
Dakar
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Budget
revenues: $885 million expenditures: $885 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1996 est.)
Currency
1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Debt-external
$3.7 billion (1996)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $439 million (1993)
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 of 5.6% in 1996 and 4.7% in 1997. Annual inflation has been pushed below 3% and the fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of GDP. Investment has been steadily rising 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.
Electricity-capacity
303,440 kW (1997)
Electricity-consumption per capita
109 kWh (1997 est.)
Electricity-production
1.027 billion kWh (1997 est.)
Exchange rates
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Exports
total value: $986 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton partners: France, other EU countries, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$15.6 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 19% industry: 17% services: 64% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$1,850 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
4.7% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products partners: France 30%, other EU countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, China, Japan
Industrial production growth rate
7.4% (1996 est.)
Industries
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Inflation rate-consumer price index
2.5% (1997 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: agriculture 60%
Radio broadcast stations
AM 8, FM 6, shortwave 1
Radios
850,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber optic cable in trunk system international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
81,988 (1995 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1
Televisions
61,000 (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%; urban youth 40%
Transportation
Airports
20 (1997 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 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 14,576 km paved: 4,271 km unpaved: 10,305 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 1 bulk ship, 1,995 GRT/3,775 DWT (1997 est.)
Railways
total: 904 km narrow gauge: 904 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double track) (1995)
Waterways
897 km total; 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
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$81 million (1996 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
2.1% (1996 est.)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 2,016,128 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,052,825 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
18 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 98,869 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Current issues
Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been formally recognized as a state by the US; the US view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), has dissolved and that none of the successor republics represents its continuation.
Disputes-international
short section of boundary with The Gambia is indefinite
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis Introduction