Senegal

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $82 million, 2.1% of GDP (1996 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 1,864,239 males fit for military service: 973,170 males reach military age (18) annually: 90,154 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

850,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay and cable trunk system international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

55,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

61,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish catch of 409,000 metric tons in 1992

Budget

revenues: $876 million expenditures: $197.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $439 million (1993)

Economic overview

In 1994 Senegal embarked on its most concerted structural adjustment effort yet to exploit the 50% devaluation of the currencies of the 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January of that year. After years of foot-dragging, the government has passed a liberalized labor code which should lower the cost of labor and improve the manufacturing sector's competitiveness. Inroads also have been made in closing tax loopholes, eliminating monopoly power in several sectors, and privatizing state owned firms. At the same time, the government is holding the line on current fiscal expenditure under the watchful eyes of international organizations on which it depends for substantial support. The IMF, in mid-1995, announced that the government met most economic targets as called for in its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility agreement and released the second $50 million tranche. The country's narrow resource base, environmental degradation, and untamed population growth will continue to hold back improvement in living standards over the medium term.

Electricity

capacity: 230,000 kW production: 720 million kWh consumption per capita: 79 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) 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

$940 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton partners: France, other EU countries, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali

External debt

$3.8 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $14.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$1,600 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

Imports

$1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum partners: France, other EU countries, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, China, Japan

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (1995)

Labor force

2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming; 175,000 wage earners) by occupation: private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 196,190 sq km land area: 192,000 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Coastline

531 km

Environment

current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts 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

Geographic note

The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

International disputes

short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; boundary with Mauritania in dispute

Irrigated land

1,800 sq km (1989 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: 27% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 30% forest and woodland: 31% other: 12%

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 resources

fish, phosphates, iron ore

Terrain

generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the Futa Jaldon foothills 581 m

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

Data code

SG

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540, 0541

Executive branch

chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981) was elected for a seven-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); results - Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57% head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

FAX

[221] 22 29 91

Flag

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

Independence

20 August 1960 (from France; 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, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system

based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - PS 70%, PDS 23%, other 7%; seats - (120 total) PS 84, PDS 27, LD-MPT 3, Let Us Unite Senegal 3, PIT 2, UDS-R 1

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Other political or pressure groups

students; teachers; labor; Muslim Brotherhoods

Political parties and leaders

Socialist Party (PS), President Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement (LD-MPT), Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY; Independent Labor Party (PIT), Amath DANSOKHO; Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal (UDS-R), Mamadou Puritain FALL; Let Us Unite Senegal (coalition of African Party for Democracy and Socialism and National Democratic Rally); other small uninfluential parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic under multiparty democratic rule

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Mark JOHNSON 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 2,188,338; female 2,197,015) 15-64 years: 49% (male 2,111,330; female 2,336,987) 65 years and over: 3% (male 128,939; female 130,140) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

45.46 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.76 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%

Infant mortality rate

64 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.49 years male: 53.75 years female: 59.3 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 33.1% male: 43% female: 23.2%

Nationality

noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

9,092,749 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.37% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.31 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 17 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 8 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 13,850 km paved: 3,900 km unpaved: 9,950 km (1990 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,995 GRT/3,775 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard-Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor

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