Senegal

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet country code

.sn

Internet users

30,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

1.24 million (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: good 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 - main lines in use

116,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,149 (1996)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

361,000 (1997)

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

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Debt - external

$4.1 billion (1998 est.)

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 1995-99. Annual inflation has been pushed down to 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. Real GDP growth is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is likely to hold at 2% in 2001-02.

Electricity - consumption

1.181 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

1.27 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Exports

$959 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities

fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners

France 17%, India 17%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Mali 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 19% industry: 20% services: 61% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.7% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 42.8% (1991)

Imports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities

foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners

France 30%, Nigeria 7%, Italy 6%, Thailand 5%, Germany 4%, US 4% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (1998 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 60%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%; urban youth 40%

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296, 823-7384

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

Executive branch

chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Madior BOYE (since 3 March 2001) 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 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51%

FAX

[221] 822-2991

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

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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note-the judicial system was reformed in 1992

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Political parties and leaders

African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and 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]; SOPI Coalition (a 40-party coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$68 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY97)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,311,063 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,207,360 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 114,189 (2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.07% (male 2,279,996; female 2,252,255) 15-64 years: 52.88% (male 2,603,829; female 2,834,328) 65 years and over: 3.05% (male 155,877; female 158,644) (2001 est.)

Birth rate

37.46 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.77% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

7,800 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

79,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

56.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.56 years male: 60.94 years female: 64.22 years (2001 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

0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

10,284,929 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

2.93% (2001 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

20 (2000 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 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Highways

total: 14,576 km paved: 4,271 km unpaved: 10,305 km (1996)

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double track)

Waterways

897 km note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river