Senegal

Internet country code

.sn

Internet hosts

412 (2006)

Internet users

540,000 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)

Telephone system

general assessment: good system domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

266,600 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.73 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Agriculture - products

peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Budget

revenues: $1.657 billion expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital expenditures of $357 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

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

Current account balance

$-848 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$3.529 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

41.3 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient

$449.6 million (2003 est.)

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 was 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 over 5% annually during 1995-2004. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. However, Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt.

Electricity - consumption

1.239 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

1.332 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Exports

$1.526 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners

Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy 5.5%, Gambia, The 4.6% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.972 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$20.57 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 17.2% industry: 20.9% services: 61.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.1% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)

Imports

$2.405 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and beverages, capital goods, fuels

Imports - partners

France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand 4.3%, US 4.2%, UK 4% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

3.1% (2005 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

4.82 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 77% industry and services: 23% (1990 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

50 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

50 million cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

31,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

54% (2001 est.)

Public debt

46% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.191 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 14 00 W

Geography - note

westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (2003)

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: 12.51% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 87.25% (2005)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Capital

name: Dakar geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

new constitution adopted 7 January 2001

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia); Mali Federation

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296 FAX: [221] 822-2991

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 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%

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

Independence

4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 27 February 2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007 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]; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS); 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 was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 2,443,840 females age 18-49: 2,461,939 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,558,175 females age 18-49: 1,642,533 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 129,331 females age 18-49: 129,398 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385) 15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

32.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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

0.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

44,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 52.94 deaths/1,000 live births male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.25 years male: 57.7 years female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 40.2% male: 50% female: 30.7% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Median age

total: 19.1 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.3 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

11,987,121 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.34% (2006 est.)

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese citizens from the Casamance region fleeing separatist violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling

Illicit drugs

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 19,778 (Mauritania) IDPs: 17,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2005)

Airports

20 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Pipelines

gas 43 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Dakar

Railways

total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 13,576 km paved: 3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,604 km (2003)

Waterways

1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2005)