Background:
 
The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.

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
 

Government type:

republic
 

Capital:

name: Dakar
geographic coordinates: 14 44 N, 17 38 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
 

Administrative divisions:

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

Independence:

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

National holiday:

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
 

Constitution:

previous 1959 (preindependence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001; amended many times, last in 2008 (2011)
 

Legal system:

civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
 

International law organization participation:

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
 

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal
 

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012)
head of government: Prime Minister Aminata TOURE (since 3 September 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
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elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 February 2012 with a second round runoff on 25 March 2012 (next to be held 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Macky SALL elected president; percent of votes in a runoff - Macky SALL 65.8%, Abdoulaye WADE 34.2%
 

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote and 60 elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
election results: National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition 119, PDS 12, Bokk Giss Giss coalition 4, MCRN-Bes Du Nakk 4, PVD 2, MRDS 2, URD 1, AJ/PADS 1, other 5
 

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): Highest Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation (consists of 13 judges including the court president); Constitutional Council (consists of 5 members including the court president, vice-president, and 3 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Highest Appeals Court judges' tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president of the republic to serve 6-year terms with renewal of 3 members every two years
subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; regional and first instance courts
 

Political parties and leaders:

African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]
Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar [Macky SALL]
Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]
And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]
Benno Bokk Yakaar coaltion [Macky SALL]
Benno Siggil Senegal (a coalition of opposition parties)
Bokk Giss Giss coalition [Pape DIOP]
Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk
Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]
Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]
Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]
Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]
Jef-Jel [Talla SYLLA]
National Democratic Rally or RND [Madior DIOUF]
Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Ahmadou Kara MBACKE]
People's Labor Party or PTP [El Hadji DIOUF]
Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE]
Republican Movement for Socialism and Democracy or MRDS
Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]
Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]
Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]
SOPI Coalition [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS)
Synergy for Ethics and Transparency [Aminata TALL]
Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]
 

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: labor; students; Sufi brotherhoods, including the Mourides and Tidjanes; teachers
 

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
 

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Cheikh NIANG (since 13 July 2012)
embassy: 2215 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
consulate(s) general: Houston, New York
 

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUKENS (since 11 July 2011) note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau
embassy: Route des Almadies, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 33-879-4000
FAX: [221] 33-822-2991
 

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; green represents Islam, progress, and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
 

National symbol(s):

lion
 

National anthem:

name: 'Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons' (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)

lyrics/music: Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER
note: adopted 1960; the lyrics were written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem is sometimes played incorporating the Koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title

Economy - overview:
 
Senegal’s economy is driven by agriculture and that sector is the primary source of employment for the rural areas. The country's key export industries are phosphate mining, fertilizer production, and commercial fishing. The country is also working on iron ore and oil exploration projects. senegal relies heavily on donor assistance and foreign direct investment. President Macky SALL, who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda, inherited an economy with a weak infrastructure, challenging business environment, and a culture of overspending that still plagued the country in 2013. The IMF completed a non-dispersing, Policy Support Initiative program in December 2010 and approved a new three-year policy support instrument to assist with economic reforms. The economy continues to suffer from unreliable power supplies and rising costs of living, which has led to public protests and high unemployment and has prompted migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe.
 

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$27.72 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
$26.65 billion (2012 est.)
$25.74 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

GDP (official exchange rate):

$15.36 billion (2013 est.)
 

GDP - real growth rate:

4% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
3.5% (2012 est.)
2.6% (2011 est.)
 

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,100 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
$2,000 (2012 est.)
$2,000 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

Gross national saving:

22.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
19.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
20.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption: 81.8%
government consumption: 9%
investment in fixed capital: 31%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 25.6%
imports of goods and services: -47.4%
(2013 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 14.9%
industry: 22.7%
services: 62.4% (2013 est.)
 

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
 

Industrial production growth rate:

3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
 

Labor force:

6.096 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
 

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 77.5%
industry and services: 22.5% (2007 est.)
 

Unemployment rate:

48% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
 

Population below poverty line:

54% (2001 est.)
 

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.1% (2005)
 

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

41.3 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 52
41.3 (1995)
 

Budget:

revenues: $3.555 billion
expenditures: $4.366 billion (2013 est.)
 

Taxes and other revenues:

23.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
 

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-5.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
 

Public debt:

38.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
38.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
 

Fiscal year:

calendar year
 

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

0.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
1.4% (2012 est.)
 

Central bank discount rate:

0.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
 

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.8% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
14.3% (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of narrow money:

$3.809 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$3.577 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of broad money:

$6.193 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
$5.826 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of domestic credit:

$4.574 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
$4.509 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA
 

Current account balance:

-$1.291 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
-$1.618 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports:

$2.691 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
$2.382 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

Mali 14.4%, Switzerland 14.1%, India 11.9%, France 4.7%, Guinea 4.2% (2012)
 

Imports:

$5.61 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
$5.733 billion (2012 est.)
 

Imports - commodities:

food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
 

Imports - partners:

France 16.2%, Nigeria 12.9%, India 6.3%, China 6.3%, UK 4.6% (2012)
 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
$2.082 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Debt - external:

$4.375 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
$4.221 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Exchange rates:

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
500.7 (2013 est.)
510.53 (2012 est.)
495.28 (2010)
472.19 (2009)
447.81 (2008)

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

Geographic coordinates:

14 00 N, 14 00 W
 

Map references:

Africa
 

Area:

total: 196,722 sq km
country comparison to the world: 88
land: 192,530 sq km
water: 4,192 sq km
 

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than South Dakota
 

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
 

Coastline:

531 km
 

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
 

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
 

Terrain:

generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
 

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed elevation southwest of Kedougou 581 m
 

Natural resources:

fish, phosphates, iron ore
 

Land use:

arable land: 19.57%
permanent crops: 0.28%
other: 80.15% (2011)
 

Irrigated land:

1,197 sq km (2003)
 

Total renewable water resources:

38.8 cu km (2011)
 

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
per capita: 221.6 cu m/yr (2002)
 

Natural hazards:

lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
 

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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
 

Geography - note:

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

Nationality:
 
noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese
 

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%
 

Languages:

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

Religions:

Muslim 94% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
 

Population:

13,635,927 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
 

Age structure:

0-14 years: 42.5% (male 2,908,431/female 2,880,258)
15-24 years: 20.5% (male 1,388,530/female 1,401,109)
25-54 years: 30.4% (male 1,892,403/female 2,253,576)
55-64 years: 3.8% (male 225,942/female 289,920)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 179,444/female 216,314) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:  
 

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio: 86.5 %
youth dependency ratio: 81 %
elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 %
potential support ratio: 18.2 (2014 est.)
 

Median age:

total: 18.4 years
male: 17.5 years
female: 19.3 years (2014 est.)
 

Population growth rate:

2.48% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
 

Birth rate:

35.09 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
 

Death rate:

8.65 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
 

Net migration rate:

-1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
 

Urbanization:

urban population: 42.5% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
 

Major urban areas - population:

DAKAR (capital) 3.035 million (2011)
 

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
 

Mother's mean age at first birth:

21.4
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010-11 est.)
 

Maternal mortality rate:

370 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 28
 

Infant mortality rate:

total: 52.72 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 35
male: 58.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
 

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 60.95 years
country comparison to the world: 192
male: 58.94 years
female: 63.02 years (2014 est.)
 

Total fertility rate:

4.52 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
 

Contraceptive prevalence rate:

13.1% (2010/11)
 

Health expenditures:

6% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 107
 

Physicians density:

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
 

Hospital bed density:

0.3 beds/1,000 population (2008)
 

Drinking water source:

improved: 
urban: 92.5% of population
rural: 60.3% of population
total: 74.1% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 7.5% of population
rural: 39.7% of population
total: 25.9% of population (2012 est.)
 

Sanitation facility access:

improved: 
urban: 67.1% of population
rural: 40.5% of population
total: 51.9% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 32.9% of population
rural: 59.5% of population
total: 48.1% of population (2012 est.)
 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

42,800 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
 

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
 

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, and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2013)
 

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:

6.8% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 145
 

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:

14.4% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 51
 

Education expenditures:

5.6% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 53
 

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.7%
male: 61.8%
female: 38.7% (2009 est.)
 

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2010)
 

Child labor - children ages 5-14:

total number: 657,216
percentage: 22 % (2005 est.)
 

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

total: 14.8%
country comparison to the world: 83
male: 11.9%
female: 20.1% (2006)

Telephones - main lines in use:
 
338,200 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 110
 

Telephones - mobile cellular:

11.47 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 73
 

Telephone system:

general assessment: good system with microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
domestic: above-average urban system with a fiber-optic network; nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a call-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line services in rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly
international: country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic cable provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides connectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)
 

Broadcast media:

state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) operates 2 TV stations; a few private TV subscription channels rebroadcast foreign channels without providing any local news or programs; RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations; many community and private-broadcast radio stations are available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2007)
 

Internet country code:

.sn
 

Internet hosts:

237 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 197
 

Internet users:

1.818 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 76

Airports:
 
20 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 136
 

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
 

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 
1 (2013)
 

Pipelines:

gas 43 km; refined products 8 km (2013)
 

Railways:

total: 906 km
country comparison to the world: 92
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
 

Roadways:

total: 14,008 km
country comparison to the world: 125
paved: 4,099 km (includes 7 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,909 km (2003)
 

Waterways:

1,000 km (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 64
 

Merchant marine:

total: 1
country comparison to the world: 150
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010)
 

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s): Dakar

Electricity - production:
 
2.769 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
 

Electricity - consumption:

2.22 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
 

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
 

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
 

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

638,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
 

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

99.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
 

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
 

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
 

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

0.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
 

Crude oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
 

Crude oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
 

Crude oil - imports:

15,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
 

Crude oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
 

Refined petroleum products - production:

15,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
 

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

40,600 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
 

Refined petroleum products - exports:

562 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
 

Refined petroleum products - imports:

23,760 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
 

Natural gas - production:

20 million cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
 

Natural gas - consumption:

20 million cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
 

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
 

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
 

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m
country comparison to the world: 190
 

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:

7.088 million Mt (2011 est.)