Geography
Area: 196,840 sq. km. (76,000 sq. mi.), about the size of South
Dakota.
Cities: Capital--Dakar. Other cities--Diourbel,
Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Rufisque, Saint-Louis, Thies, Tambacounda,
Ziguinchor.
Terrain: Flat or rising to foothills.
Climate: Tropical/Sahelian--desert or grasslands in the north,
heavier vegetation in the south and southeast.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Senegalese (sing. and pl.).
Population (2002 est.): 10 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.9%.
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43%; Fulani (Peulh) and Toucouleur 23%; Serer
15%; Diola, Mandingo, and others 19%.
Religions: Muslim 95%, Christian 4%, traditional 1%.
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diola, Mandingo,
Soninke.
Education: Attendance--primary 75.8%, middle school 26.5%,
secondary 11% (estimated). Literacy--50.7%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--69/1,000. Life expectancy--52
yrs.
Work force (4.0 million): Agriculture--70% (subsistence or
cash crops). Wage earners (350,000): private sector 61%,
government and parapublic 39%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: April 4, 1960.
Constitution: March 3, 1963, last amended in 2001.
Branches: Executive--President (chief of state, commander in
chief of armed forces). Legislative--National Assembly
(single chamber with 120 deputies). Judicial--Constitutional
Council (appointed by the president from senior magistrates and
eminent academics and attorneys), Court of Final Appeals, Council of
State.
Administrative subdivisions: 11 regions, 34 departments, 320 rural
councils.
Political parties: 72 political parties are registered, the most
important of which are the Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS),
Socialist Party (PS), the Alliance of Forces for Progress (AFP),
"AND JEF/PADS", the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD), “JEF JEL”,
the National Democratic Rally (RND), and the Independence and Labor
Party (PIT).
Suffrage: Universal adult, over 18.
Central government budget (2004): $887.5 billion African Financial
Community (CFA).
Defense (2004 est.): $56.8 billion CFA.
National holiday: April 4, Independence Day.
Economy
GDP (2002): $4.9 billion.
Real annual growth rate: 4.8%.
Per capita GDP (2003): $700. In terms of purchasing power parity
(PPP) $1,510 (2002).
Natural resources: Fish, peanuts, phosphate, iron ore, gold,
titanium, oil and gas, cotton.
Primary sector: Agriculture represents 19.2% of GDP. Products--peanuts,
millet, sorghum, manioc, rice, cotton, vegetables and flowers,
fruit.
Secondary sector: 20.7% of GDP, of which industry and mining
represent 14% of GDP. Types--fishing; agricultural product
processing; light manufacturing; mining including energy, oil
mining, and construction.
Tertiary sector: 60.9% of GDP of which services represent 39.7% of
GDP and trade 21.2% of GDP.
Trade (2002): Exports--$1.05 billion (fish products, peanut
products, phosphate products). Major markets--France, other
European Union, West African CFA zone. Imports--$1.85 billion
(food, consumer goods, petroleum, machinery, transport equipment,
petroleum products, computer equipment). Major suppliers--France,
Nigeria, Cameroon, United States.
Exchange rate: Fixed to the euro. African Financial Community (CFA)
656 CFA =1 euro.
Economic aid received (2000): $361 million from all sources, $24.7
million from the U.S.
.