Senegal

Senegal is one of the few countries in the world with evidence of continuous human life from the Paleolithic period to present. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Jolof Empire ruled most of Senegal. Starting in the 15th century, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain traded along the Senegalese coast. Senegal’s location on the western tip of Africa made it a favorable base for the European slave trade. European powers used the Senegalese island of Goree as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland, and at the height of the slave trade in Senegal, over one-third of the Senegalese population was enslaved. In 1815, France abolished slavery and began expanding inland. During the second half of the 19th century, France took possession of Senegal as a French colony. In 1959, the French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged and granted independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. The union broke up after only a few months. In 1982, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never implemented, and the union dissolved in 1989.<br><br>Since the 1980s, the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance -- a separatist movement based in southern Senegal -- has led a low-level insurgency. Several attempts at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement have failed. Since 2012, despite sporadic incidents of violence, an unofficial cease-fire has remained largely in effect. Senegal is one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. The Socialist Party of Senegal ruled for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000 and re-elected in 2007. WADE amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and weaken the opposition. In 2012, WADE’s decision to run for a third presidential term sparked public backlash that led to his loss to current President Macky SALL. A 2016 constitutional referendum limited future presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE took office in April 2024.

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

14 00 N, 14 00 W

Africa

slightly smaller than South Dakota; slightly larger than twice the size of Indiana

531 km

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

generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

fish, phosphates, iron ore

1,200 sq km (2012)

Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, and Mauritania [m] ) - 1,641 km; Gambie (Gambia) (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural, as shown in this population distribution map

lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

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

Wolof 39.7%, Pulaar 27.5%, Sereer 16%, Mandinka 4.9%, Jola 4.2%, Soninke 2.4%, other 5.4% (includes Europeans and persons of Lebanese descent) (2019 est.)

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

Muslim 97.2% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 2.7% (mostly Roman Catholic) (2019 est.)

2.4% (2025 est.)

29.54 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural, as shown in this population distribution map

3.340 million DAKAR (capital) (2023)

21.9 years (2019 est.)

237 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

3.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.93 (2025 est.)

0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

8.8% (2016)

16.2% (2023 est.)

65.5% (2023 est.)

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; droughts; seasonal flooding; overfishing; weak environmental laws; poaching

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

42.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

38.97 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

14 regions (<em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kéedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

civil law system based on French law; Constitutional Council reviews legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT <br>Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR <br>Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP <br>AND (National Alliance for Democracy) <br>And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS <br>ARC (Alternative for the next generation of citizens) <br>Awalé <br>Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope); coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP<br>Bokk Gis Gis coalition <br>Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk <br>Coalition Mimi 2024 <br>Dare the Future movement <br>Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT <br>Democratic Renaissance Congress <br>Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ <br>Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG <br>General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR <br>Grand Party or GP <br>Gueum sa Bopp (Believe in yourself) <br>Independence and Labor Party or PIT <br>Jotna Coalition <br>Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW <br>Madicke 2019 coalition <br>National Union for the People or UNP <br>Only Senegal Movement <br>Party for Truth and Development or PVD <br>Party of Unity and Rally or PUR <br>Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi <br>PRP (Republican party for Progress) <br>Rewmi Party <br>Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS; coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress<br>Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS <br>Socialist Party or PS <br>Tekki Movement <br>Réewum Ngor (Republic of Values) <br>Servants (Les Serviteurs)

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

4 April 1960 (from France); 20 August 1960 (full independence after federation with Mali is dissolved)

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of green (left side), yellow, and red, with a small five-pointed green star centered on the yellow band; green stands for Islam, progress, and hope, yellow for natural wealth and progress, and red for sacrifice and determination; the star represents unity and hope<br><br><strong>history:</strong> uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

lion

green, yellow, red

lower middle-income, services-driven West African economy; key mining, construction, agriculture, and fishing industries; tourism and exports hit hard by COVID-19; large informal economy; developing offshore oil and gas fields; systemic corruption

$32.267 billion (2024 est.)

rice, groundnuts, watermelons, millet, cassava, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, onions, milk (2023)

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

20% (2024 est.)

5.763 million (2024 est.)

19.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Mali 21%, India 12%, Switzerland 11%, China 5%, UAE 4% (2023)

gold, refined petroleum, phosphoric acid, fish, cement (2023)

China 19%, France 9%, Nigeria 7%, India 7%, Russia 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, garments, wheat (2023)

over 25 private TV stations; state-run Radiodiffusion T&eacute;l&eacute;vision S&eacute;n&eacute;galaise (RTS) broadcasts from five cities; wide range of independent TV available via satellite; hundreds of radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar

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6V

20 (2025)

Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army (l’Armée de Terre, AT), Senegalese National Navy (Marine Séenéegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Arméee de l'Air du Séenéegal, AAS), National Gendarmerie<br><br>Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025)

approximately 25,000 active Armed Forces personnel, including the Gendarmerie (2025)

the military has a mix of older, secondhand, and some more modern equipment from a variety of suppliers, including China, France, Russia, South Africa, Spain, T&uuml;rkiye, and the US (2025)

18-28 (up to 35 for specialized roles); 24-month service commitment (2025)

190 Central African Republic (MINUSCA; plus about 575 police); approximately 380 police Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)&nbsp; (2025)

the Senegalese military is responsible for both territorial defense and internal security; it also assists the civilian government in such areas as preventive healthcare, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and disaster response; key areas of focus for the military include a low-level insurgency in the country's south, maritime security, and securing the border against smuggling and Sahel-based Islamist insurgent groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State; the military participates in foreign peacekeeping deployments and multinational exercises; its closest security partner is France, which has long maintained a military presence in Senegal  <br><br>Senegalese security forces have been engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC) since 1982; the conflict is one of longest running low-level insurgencies in the World, having claimed more than 5,000 lives while leaving another 60,000 displaced; in recent years, nearly all of the MDFC factions have agreed to cease hostilities (2025)

Senegalese Space Study Agency (Agence S&eacute;n&eacute;galaise d'Etudes Spatiales or ASES; launched in 2023 under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation) (2025)

small, nascent program focused on earth observation/remote sensing capabilities, largely for climate resilience, environmental management, research, and socio-economic development; conducts research in fields such as astronomy and planetary sciences; has cooperated with space agencies in China, France, Turkey, and the US, as well as the ESA (2025)

2023 - signed cooperation agreement with ESA to leverage space technology for socio-economic growth; established a space control center to provide infrastructure for satellite manufacturing and satellite services<br><br>2024 - first Earth observation/remote sensing nanosatellite (GaindeSat-1A) built with French assistance and launched by US; signed agreement with Turkey on space infrastructure advancement; agreed to participate in China's lunar exploration/research station project<br><br>2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration; signed agreement with France for capacity development in space infrastructure and Earth observation initiatives

Jama&rsquo;at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)