Senegal

This article is about the country. For the river, see Senegal River.

Republic of Senegal
République du Sénégal (French)
Réewum Senegaal (Wolof)[1]
Ndenndaandi Senegaal (Pulaar)
Motto: "Benn askan, Benn mébet, Benn ngëm" (Wolof)
"One People, One Goal, One Faith"
Anthem: 
"Gaynde gu xonq gi"
"The Red Lion"
Location of Senegal (dark green)
Location of Senegal (dark green)
Capital
and largest city
Dakar
14°40′N 17°25′W / 14.667°N 17.417°W / 14.667; -17.417
Official languagesFrench
Wolof
Pulaar
National languages
Lingua franca
Ethnic groups
(2019)[5]
Religion
(2019)[5]
Demonym(s)Senegalese
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic[6]
• President
Bassirou Diomaye Faye
Ousmane Sonko
Amadou Mame Diop
LegislatureNational Assembly
Independence
• Republic established
25 November 1958
• Independence from France[d]
20 June 1960
• Withdrawal from
the Mali Federation
20 August 1960
• Dissolution of the Senegambia Confederation
30 September 1989
Area
• Total
196,722[5] km2 (75,955 sq mi) (86th)
• Water (%)
2.1
Population
• 2024 estimate
18,847,519[5] (68th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $78.547 billion[7] (106th)
• Per capita
Increase $4,324[7] (156th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $31.141 billion[7] (111th)
• Per capita
Increase $1,714[7] (157th)
Gini (2011)40.3[8]
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.517[9]
low (169th)
CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Drives onright
Calling code+221
ISO 3166 codeSN
Internet TLD.sn

Senegal,[e] officially the Republic of Senegal,[f] is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country.[12][13] It also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar.

Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia.[14] It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north.[15] The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a rainy season. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 18 million.[16][17] The state is a unitary presidential republic; since the country's foundation in 1960, it has been recognized as one of the most stable countries on the African continent.[18] On the 2023 V-Dem Democracy Indices, Senegal is ranked 52nd in electoral democracy worldwide and 4th in electoral democracy in Africa.[19]

The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule. Because of this history, French is the official language, but it is understood by only a minority of the population.[20] Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal. Wolof is the most widely spoken one, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language,[21] acting as Senegal's lingua franca alongside French. Like other African nations, the country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof, Fula, and Serer people. Senegalese people are predominantly Muslim.[22]

Senegal is classified as a heavily indebted poor country, with a relatively low ranking on the Human Development Index (170th out of 191). Most of the population lives on the coast and works in agriculture or other food industries; other major industries include mining, tourism, and services.[23] The country does not have notable natural resources, but the basis of its development lies in education,[clarify] where almost half the state's budget is spent.[24] Senegal is a member state of the African Union, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Community of Sahel–Saharan States. In the world of motor sports, Senegal is known for the Paris–Dakar Rally.[25]

  1. ^ "Wolof is reclaiming ground in Senegal as the French language wanes". 17 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Senegal's Constitution of 2001 with Amendments through 2016" (PDF). Constitute Project. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  3. ^ "African Studies Center| African Languages at Penn". Center for African Studies at University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  4. ^ Falola, Toyin (30 November 2017). Africanizing Knowledge: African Studies Across the Disciplines. Routledge. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-351-32438-0.
  5. ^ a b c d "Senegal". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference cia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Senegal)". International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Gini Index". World Bank. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Definition of Senegal". The Free Dictionary. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Define Senegal". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Which Countries Border The Gambia?". WorldAtlas. 28 August 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Why is The Gambia Surrounded by Senegal?". Trazee Travel. 6 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. ^ Janet H. Gritzner, Charles F. Gritzner – 2009, Senegal – Page 8
  15. ^ culturetrip (31 May 2018). "The Real Story Behind Senegal's Name". Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  16. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  17. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Overview". World Bank. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  19. ^ V-Dem Institute (2023). "The V-Dem Dataset". Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ^ Jacques Leclerc (4 October 2010). "Sénégal". Trésor de la langue française au Québec. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  21. ^ Pariona, Amber (27 September 2017). "What Languages Are Spoken in Senegal?". WorldAtlas. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  22. ^ Hammerschlag, Annika (24 December 2019). "Senegal, a Muslim Country that Can't Get Enough Christmas". VOA. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  23. ^ Systematic Country Diagnostic of Senegal. World Bank. 4 October 2018. doi:10.1596/30852. hdl:10986/30852. S2CID 240089232.
  24. ^ "Why Senegal, a small country, is good at providing international organisations with leaders". D+C. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  25. ^ Guivaudon, Guillaume (13 December 2021). "The best destinations for family holidays". Little Guest. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).