|
General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
196,722 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
2,640 km |
|
Coastline: |
531 km |
|
Capital: |
Dakar |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Thiès, Kaolock,
Ziguinchor |
|
Official
Language: |
French |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Communauté
Financière
Africaine Franc
(XOF) |
|
National Day: |
April 4
|
Location and
Geography
Senegal is located
on the bulge of West
Africa. It is
bordered by the
Atlantic Ocean in
the West, Mali in
the East, and Guinea
and Guinea-Bissau in
the South. The river
Senegal in the North
separates it from
Mauritania. The
country is mostly
flat or rolling
plain with
savanna-type
vegetation. Four
major rivers, the
Senegal, Saloum,
Gambia and Casamance,
flowing almost
parallel from East
to West, drain the
country. A quarter
of the land is
arable, while
meadows, pastures,
forests and woodland
cover half of the
land. Senegal has
two well-defined
seasons: winter and
summer. Generally,
Senegal is
considered a dry
country with
pleasant
temperatures.
Demography
|
Population:
|
9.90 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
37 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
12 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
70 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 51 years,
Female: 54 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
49.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
38.30 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Senegal’s economy is
based on agriculture
with the majority of
the population
engaged in farming.
In addition to
groundnuts, which is
the most widely
grown crop, millet,
sorghum, rice and
maize are also grown
in the country.
Fishing products
have become the
leading export item.
Industrial
production in
Senegal is more
widespread than in
most West African
countries. Both
processing and
handicraft
industries have been
established. The
production of
limestone and
aluminium phosphates
is significant. The
tourism sector has
grown in importance
and has become one
of the leading
sources of foreign
exchange earnings.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
4982 million US$
(2002) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
503 US$ (2002) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
15.0%
Agriculture,
22.0% Industry,
63.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
949 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
1958 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Fish,
groundnuts,
petroleum
products,
phosphates and
cotton |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Food and
beverages,
consumer goods
and capital
goods |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
France, India,
Mali, Nigeria
and Thailand |
|
