1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (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 feature near Nepen Diakha 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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling 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 2,403,384; female 2,416,791) 15-64 years: 49% (male 2,360,113; female 2,594,278) 65 years and over: 3% (male 134,765; female 142,599) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
43.88 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
10.71 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Diola 3.7%, Mandink 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Infant mortality rate
59.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 57.83 years male: 54.95 years female: 60.78 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)
Population
10,051,930 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
3.32% (1999 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: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.11 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 regions (regions, singular--region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Capital
Dakar
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 Mamadou Lamine LOUM (since 4 July 1998) 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%
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, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, 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 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
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 secretary general]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT 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%, 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, PIT 1
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
$3.8 billion (1997)
Economic aid--recipient
$647.5 million (1995)
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 1995-98. Annual inflation has been pushed below 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. Forecasters predict growth will continue in the 5% range in 1999-2000.
Electricity--consumption
730 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1997)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1997)
Electricity--production
1.027 billion kWh (1997 est.)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--560.01 (December 1998), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Exports
$925 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports--partners
France 20%, other EU countries, India, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali (1996)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$15.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 19% industry: 17% services: 64% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,600 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
5.7% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 42.8% (1991)
Imports
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports--partners
France 36%, other EU countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, US, China, Japan (1996)
Industrial production growth rate
7% (1998 est.)
Industries
agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.8% (1998 est.)
Labor force
NA
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 60%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%; urban youth 40%
Communications
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 (1997)
Televisions
61,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
20 (1998 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 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 14,576 km paved: 4,271 km unpaved: 10,305 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,995 GRT/3,775 DWT (1998 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
$68 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.4% (1997)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 2,096,438 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,095,047 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 103,348 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
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