Country guide - Senegal  

 
 

Introduction: Senegal is bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania and encloses the confederated state of The Gambia. To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean.

Official Name: Republic of Senegal
Area: 196,840 Sq Km (76,000 Sq Miles)
Population: 10,580,000
Continent: Africa
Density per square mile: 140
Capital City: Dakar
Religions: 94% Sunni Muslims, 5% Christians, predominantly Roman Catholic and 1% follow local native tribal beliefs.

Language: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Government: Republic under multi-party democratic rule.

Currency: CFA Franc (Communaute Financiere Africaine franc)
GDP: $16.2 billion
GDP Per Head: $1,500

Natural Resources: Fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land Use: Arable Land 11.58%
Agriculture: Corn, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, tomatoes, green vegetables, cattle, poultry, pigs & fish.
Industry: Agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials.

Tourism: Senegal has something for everyone and that perhaps explains why it is the most visited country in the region. It has top class hotels for the package holidaymaker, and for those on a budget or looking for something different there are the forests, deserts and choice of large cities to wander and explore including Dakar and St Louis.

Natural Hazards: Lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts, tornadoes occur at the beginning and end of the rainy season.
Health Risks: Malaria, bilharzia (schistosomiasis), cholera.

Climate: Senegal has a tropical climate with a wet season from June - September and high humidity along the coast. Rainfall decreases from the south with the wet season extending to October and its average rainfall is 60 inches reducing to 20 inches in the east. The prevailing winds are the Harmattan in the dry season, which is a dust-laden wind from the Sahara Desert. Average temperature ranges in Dakar are from 18 to 26 degrees Celsius in January to 24 to 32 degrees Celsius in September.

Time: GMT/UTC - No UTC/GMT offset
National Days: April 4 - Independence Day

Visas: Visas are required for all foreign nationals, except Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Africa, the UK and the US, who may visit for up to 90 days without a visa.

British Embassy Details

 

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