Senegal is a country in Western Africa. With the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Senegal has Guinea-Bissau to the south, Guinea to the southeast, Mali to the east, and Mauritania to the north. The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal in the middle of the western coast.

Regions

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There are 11 regions:

Dakar

Diourbel

Fatick

Kaolack

Kolda

Louga

Saint-Louis

Tambacounda

Thies

Ziguinchor

Matam

Cities

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Dakar: Capital city

Saint-Louis: Former capital of Senegal and French West Africa

Thiès:

Pikine:

Rufisque:

Kaolack:

Ziguinchor:

Tambacounda:

Touba: Center of Mouride religious brotherhood

Tivaouane:

Mbour: Fishing village

Matam:

Kolda:

Diourbel:

Linguere:

Other destinations

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; Ports and harbors : Matam, Podor, Richard Toll, Dakar
; Places of religion and contemplation : Keur Moussa, Touba, Tivaouane
; Interesting Islands : Fadiout + Joal, Ile de Gorée, Karabane
; Nature reserves : Niokolo-Koba, Delta du Saloum, Parc National des oiseaux du Djoudj
; Stone circles : Nioro du Rip, Keur Ali Lobé, Sali, Kau-Ur to Wassau, Ker Batch

Climate
Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind; Natural hazards : lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts.

Terrain
Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
; Highest point : unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
History
; Independence : 4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
; National holiday : Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

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.

; Constitution : a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001

Get in

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Passport and Visas
No visa is required for citizens of Canada, ECOWAS, European Union (except 12 new member countries), Israel, Japan, Mauritania, Morocco, Taiwan and US for up to three months.

By plane
South African Airways flies direct from New York and Washington-Dulles in just about 7 hours (8.5 on the return trip). Other airlines route through Europe such as SN Brussels Airlines (Brussels), Air Senegal International (Paris-Orly), Air France (Paris-CDG), Alitalia (Milan), Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca), Iberia (Madrid) and others (5.5 to 6 hours). There are flights from various parts of Africa operated by Virgin Nigeria (Lagos), Kenya Airways (Nairobi), Air Ivoire (Abidjan) and others. Delta Air Lines will begin flying to Dakar on its Atlanta-Johannesburg route in winter 2006-7.
Lowest Prices by Plane
From lagos:
Lagos (Los)- Dakar (DKR): 260€ (1-way ticket), 366€ (2-way ticket)
(Prices were recorded in june 2006, with airstop.be (NL))

By train
A railway connects Dakar and Koulikoro in Mali. It stops at many cities in Senegal, including Thiès. Stops in Mali include Kayes and Bamako. More information on ausenegal.

Get around

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Taxi, taxi-brousse, taxi-clando, car-charette, transport commun (cars rapides)
Buslines in Dakar and around Dakar are maintained by SOTRAC (Société des Transports en commun de Cap Vert), now managed by a private company and called Dakar Demm Dikk. Car hire is available in Dakar (city and airport) and sometimes in MBour and Saly Portudal.
A list of the car hire companies can be found at this link

The main method of travel around the country is by sept places (from French, "seven seats," literally questionable station wagons in which they will pack seven people so that you are basically sitting on the next person's lap throughout the journey). You can also come with a group and rent out an entire sept place, but this will be expensive. If you are obviously a tourist, they WILL try to rip you off, so make sure to set a price before you agree to a driver. There are set prices to often-travelled locations.

Talk

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: See also: Wolof phrasebook

Wolof is the native language of some Senegalese people, but you will find that almost everyone speaks it. Knowing the basic Wolof greetings and phrases will go a long way in getting you better service and prices.

The Senegalese people learn French in school and it is a very useful language for travellers to know. While some Senegalese merchants speak English, most business is conducted in French or Wolof. Other languages used in Senegal include Sereer, Soninke, Pulaar, Jola, and Mandinka are spoken.

The basic Muslim greeting is often used: Salaam aleikum - Peace to you. The response is Malecum salaam - And unto you peace.

Buy

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Maps
Tourist maps are available at the tourist offices (see au-senegal.com for that one)

International Driving Permit (IDP)
If you want to explore the country by (rented) car, you need one.

Vaccines
Yellow fever vaccine needed to enter the country (you will receive a WHO-"passport" to verify it to customs).

Mosquito repellents

Buy at least a mosquito net (preferably permethrin-impregnated) and a good repellent (preferably DEET-based).

Eat

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Avoid cooked food prepared by the road, these often cause diarrhea. Western-style meals are available and can be found at restaurants in various parts of Dakar, Thies, Saint Louis and other towns and near the big hotels in the Petite Côte and in some other touristic regions of the country too.
If you really want to try the genuine Senegalese food you can buy it at restaurants serving Senegalese dishes or alternatively, you can make it yourself with the food gathered fresh from the markets or supermarkets.

The official dish of Senegal is ceebu jen (or thebou diene) -- rice and fish. It comes in two varieties (red and white -- named for the different sauces). The Senegalese love ceebu jen and will often ask if you've ever tried it, and it is definitely part of the experience. Even better if you get the chance to eat with your hands around the bowl with a Senegalese family!

Drink

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If you intent to explore the arid area of Senegal (Saint-Louis & Ferlo), you need to drink several liters of water a day. Even in Dakar, dehyrdation is possible during warmer months if you do not drink enough water each day.

Learn

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It might also be a good idea to learn some basic Wolof, since not everybody can speak French. In addition there are many other languages such as Toucouleur, Serere, peuls, etc.... However almost everyone can speak wolof. Therefore knowing wolof would be a big help.

Stay safe

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Altough highly exaggerated, there is still fighting going on in the Casamance region of Senegal.
The "struggle" goes on between the government and the MFDC or mouvement des forces démocratiques de la Casamance. It would be wise to avoid travel to this area, if this is not possible or if you really want to see this region, then at least first check with the embassy for the latest situation. To find out how much the situation has improved look at this IRIN News report

Stay healthy

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Get necessary vaccines before arrival. Officially, certification of yellow fever vaccine is required upon arrival if coming from a country in a yellow fever zone, but it is not commonly checked.

Take anti-malarials.

Avoid tap-water, and all dishes prepared with them. Bottled water, such as Kirene which is most common and bottled in Senegal, is widely available and inexpensive.

To prevent serious effects of dehydration, it is wise to carry around packets of rehydration salts to mix with water, should you become dehydrated. These are widely available at pharmacies and are inexpensive. Alternatively, a proper mix of table salt and sugar can replace these.

Respect

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The primary religion in Senegal is Islam, and most Senegalese are extremely devout Muslims. It's important to be respectful of this because religion is very important in Senegalese life. However, don't be afraid to ask questions about Islam -- for the most part, Senegalese people love to talk about it!

Greet everyone when entering a room with "Salaam Aleikum." Always shake hands with everyone. Do not enter mosques and other religious places with your shoes.

Foreign women can expect to get many marriage proposals from Senegalese men. Handle this with a sense of humor.


Senegal (le Sénégal), officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south. The Gambia lies almost entirely within Senegal, surrounded on the north, east and south; from its western coast, The Gambia's territory follows the Gambia River more than inland.

The Cape Verde islands lie some off the Senegalese coast, but Cap Vert is a peninsula near Senegal's capital Dakar, and the western-most point in Africa.

History

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Archaeological findings throughout the area indicate that Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times. Since then, Senegal has had a varied cultural history of kingdoms, brotherhoods and colonial struggles (between and against colonizing powers).

Eastern Senegal was once part of the Empire of Ghana. It was founded by the Tukulor in the middle valley of the Senegal River. Islam, the dominant religion in Senegal, first came to the region in the 11th century. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the area came under the influence of the Mandingo empires to the east; the Jolof Empire of Senegal also was founded during this time.

Various European powers - Portugal, the Netherlands, and England - competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward, until in 1677, France ended up in possession of what had become an important slave trade departure point - the infamous island of Gorée next to modern Dakar. It was only in the 1850s that the French began to expand their foothold onto the Senegalese mainland, at the expense of native kingdoms such as Waalo, Cayor, Baol, and Jolof.

In January 1959, Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent on June 20 1960, as a result of the independence and the transfer of power agreement signed with France on April 4 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on August 20. Senegal and Sudan (renamed the Republic of Mali) proclaimed independence. Léopold Senghor was elected Senegal's first president in September 1960.

After the breakup of the Mali Federation, President Senghor and Prime Minister Mamadou Dia governed together under a parliamentary system. In December 1962, their political rivalry led to an attempted coup by Prime Minister Dia. Although this was put down without bloodshed, Dia was arrested and imprisoned, and Senegal adopted a new constitution that consolidated the president's power. In 1980, President Senghor decided to retire from politics, and he handed power over in 1981 to his handpicked successor, Abdou Diouf.

Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia on February 1 1982. However, the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group in the Casamance region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Abdou Diouf was president between 1981 and 2000. He encouraged broader political participation, reduced government involvement in the economy, and widened Senegal's diplomatic engagements, particularly with other developing nations. Domestic politics on occasion spilled over into street violence, border tensions, and a violent separatist movement in the southern region of the Casamance. Nevertheless, Senegal's commitment to democracy and human rights strengthened. Diouf served four terms as president. In the presidential election of 2000, opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade defeated Diouf in an election deemed free and fair by international observers. Senegal experienced its second peaceful transition of power, and its first from one political party to another. On December 30 2004 President Abdoulaye Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with the separatist group in the Casamance region. This, however, has yet to be implemented. There was a round of talks in 2005, but the results did not yet yield a resolution.

Politics

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Senegal is a republic with a powerful presidency; the president is elected every seven years, amended in 2001 to every five years, by universal adult suffrage. The current president is Abdoulaye Wade, re-elected in March, 2007.

Senegal has 65 political parties. The unicameral National Assembly has 120 members elected separately from the president. An independent judiciary also exists in Senegal. The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council and the court of justice, members of which are named by the president.

Today Senegal has a democratic political culture, being one of the more successful post-colonial democratic transitions in Africa.

Local administrators are appointed by, and responsible to, the president.

Marabouts, or Islamic religious leaders of various Senegalese brotherhoods, also exercise a strong political influence in the country.

Geography

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Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal's highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha at 581 m. (1906 ft.) The northern border is formed by the Senegal River, other rivers include the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.
Climate

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The local climate is tropical with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. Dakar's annual rainfall of about 600mm (24 in) occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 27°C (80.6°F); December to February minimum temperatures are about 17°C (62.6°F). Interior temperatures are higher than along the coast, and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1.5m (59.1 in) annually in some areas.

Economy

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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 percent devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the former French franc and now to the euro. 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 during 1995-2001. Annual inflation had been pushed down to less than 1%, but rose to an estimated 3.3% in 2001. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997.

The main industries include food processing, mining, cement, artificial fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, refining imported petroleum, and tourism. Exports include fish, chemicals, groundnuts, and calcium phosphate, and the principal foreign market is India, at 26.7% of exports (as of 1998).
As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal also realised 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, socioeconomic disparity, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction.
Demographics

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Senegal has a population of over 11 million, about 70 percent of whom live in rural areas. Density in these areas varies from about 77km² in the west-central region to 2 km² in the arid eastern section.

Ethnicity

Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43%; the Peuls and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar, Fulbe or Fula) (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by others that include the Serer (15%), Lebou (10%), Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or Naarkajors, Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.) About 50,000 Europeans (1%) (mostly French) as well as smaller numbers of Mauritanians and Lebanese reside in Senegal, mainly in the cities. Also located primarily in urban settings are the minority Vietnamese communities. From the time of earliest contact between Europeans and Africans along the coast of Senegal, particularly after the establishment of coastal trading posts during the fifteenth century, communities of mixed African and European (mostly French and Portuguese) origin have thrived. Cape Verdeans living in urban areas and in the Casamance region represent another recognized community of mixed African and European background. French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca. Pulaar is spoken by the Peuls and Toucouleur. Portuguese Creole is a prominent minority language in Ziguinchor, regional capital of the Casamance, where some residents speak Kriol, primarily spoken in Guinea-Bissau. Cape Verdeans speak their native creole, Cape Verdean Creole, and standard Portuguese.

Religion
Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 95 percent of the country's population; the Christian community, at 4 percent of the population, includes Roman Catholics and diverse Protestant denominations. There is also a tiny minority (1%) who practice animism, particularly in the southeastern region of the country.

Islam
Islamic communities are generally organized around one of several Islamic Sufi orders or brotherhoods, headed by a khalif (xaliifa in Wolof, from Arabic khalīfa), who is usually a direct descendant of the group’s founder. The two largest and most prominent Sufi orders in Senegal are the Tijaniyya, whose largest sub-groups are based in the cities of Tivaouane and Kaolack, and the Murīdiyya (Murid), based in the city of Touba. The Halpulaar, a widespread ethnic group found along the Sahel from Chad to Senegal, representing 20 percent of the Senegalese population, were the first to be converted to Islam. The Halpulaar, composed of various Fula people groups, named Peuls and Toucouleurs in Senegal. Many of the Toucouleurs, or sedentary Halpulaar of the Senegal River Valley in the north, converted to Islam around a millennium ago and later contributed to Islam's propagation throughout Senegal. Most communities south of the Senegal River Valley, however, were not thoroughly Islamized until the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During the mid-nineteenth century, Islam became a banner of resistance against the traditional aristocracies and French colonialism, and Tijānī leaders Al-Hajj Umar Tall and Màbba Jaxu Ba established short-lived but influential Islamic states but were both killed in battle and their empires than annexed by the French.

The spread of formal Quranic school (called daara in Wolof) during the colonial period increased largely through the effort of the Tijaniyya. In Murid communities, which place more emphasis on the work ethic than on literary Quranic studies, the term daara often applies to work groups devoted to working for a religious leader. Other Islamic groups include the much older Qādiriyya order and the Senegalese Laayeen order, which is prominent among the coastal Lebu. Today, most Senegalese children study at daaras for several years, memorizing as much of the Qur'an as they can. Some of them continue their religious studies at informal Arabic schools (majlis) or at the growing number of private Arabic schools and publicly funded Franco-Arabic schools.

Christianity
Small Roman Catholic communities are mainly found in coastal Serer, Jola, Mankanya and Balant populations, and in eastern Senegal among the Bassari and Coniagui. In Dakar, Catholic and Protestant rites are also practiced by a portion of the Lebanese, Capeverdian, European, and American immigrant population, and among certain Africans of other countries. Although Islam is Senegal's majority religion, Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was a Catholic Serer.

Other religions
Animism is the main other religion practiced. There are also small numbers of adherents of Judaism and Buddhism. Judaism is followed by members of several ethnic groups, while Buddhism is followed by a number of Vietnamese.

Administrative divisions

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Senegal is divided into 11 regions (régions) and subdivided into 34 departments (départements), 94 arrondissements and multiple communes. The regions are:

Culture

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Cuisine of Senegal

Languages of Senegal

List of Senegalese writers

List of Senegalese

Music of Senegal

Internationally known Senegalese

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Ségolène Royal, french presidential candidate in 2007

Aliaune Badara Thiam, A.K.A. Akon, Grammy-winning recording artist

Ousmane Sembène, Considered to be the "father" of African cinema.

Djibril Diop Mambety Director (he died on 23 July 1998, Paris, France.)

Cheikh Anta Diop, A major intellectual, scientist, linguist, philosopher and Pan-African theorist

Youssou N'Dour, a world famous musician

Ismael Lo, a world famous musician

Mariama Ba, feminist and author

Baaba Maal, Pulaar (Toucouleur) musician whose music was featured in the American movie, Black Hawk Down

Wasis Diop Brother of Djibril Diop Mambety, musician whose music was featured in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair of John McTiernan.

El-Hadji Diouf, footballer for Bolton Wanderers.

Papa Bouba Diop, footballer for Fulham.

Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, footballer for Bolton Wanderers.

Amady Faye, footballer for Charlton Athletic.

Henri Camara, footballer for Wigan Athletic.

Souleymane Diawara, footballer for Charlton Athletic.

Ferdinand Coly, footballer for Parma

Patrice Evra, footballer for Man Utd

DeSagana Diop, basketball player for Dallas Mavericks

Mouhamed Sene, basketball player for the Seattle SuperSonics

Pape Sow, basketball player for the Toronto Raptors

Maggatte Ndiaye, West Point graduate, Class of 1990, Company D-1. Military officer of Senegal.

Ousmane Barro, basketball player for Marquette University

Cheick Samb,Basketball player for Detroit Pistons

Patrick Vieira, footballer for Inter Milan

Notable People born in Senegal

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Ségolène Royal, center-left candidate for the French presidency in 2007

Patrick Vieira, French footballer

Pape Bathie Pouye, musician (gokh-bi system)

Youssou N'Dour, singer and percussionist

MC Solaar, an award winning French Hip Hop artist

Desagana Diop, Center for the Dallas Mavericks

Pape Sow, Power Forward for the Toronto Raptors

External links

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; Government

Gouvernement du Sénégal - Official governmental website

Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in London government information and links

Observatoire sur les systèmes d'information, réseaux et inforoutes

; News

Newspaper Index - Senegal Online Newspapers in Senegal

Senegal news

allAfrica.com - Senegal news headline links

SenActu - Senegal news headline links

; Overviews

BBC News Country Profile - Senegal

CIA World Factbook - Senegal

MSN encarta Senegal overview

Encyclopaedia Britannica's Country Page - "Senegal"

; Maps

UN Map on Senegal

; Literature

Senegalese literature at a glance

; Music

Cora Connection West African music resources

; Tourism

Practical information on Senegal with maps, culture, articles ...

Guided Tours of Senegal

The Lonely Planet travel guide on Senegal

; Ethnicity

Senegals ethnic groups (in french)

; Other

L'Afrique - Sénégal Hundreds of photographs and articles

Senegal shows tolerant face of Islam ...

Movement of the Democratic Force of Casamance

Mineral resources of Senegal