General Overview:
Senegal is bordered by the Republic of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in the south, Mauritania to the north and Mali to the east. Senegal encloses the tiny country of The Gambia.
To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Coastline: 531 km
Capital: Dakar
Provinces: 10 regions – Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies and Ziguinchor
Population
10 580 307 (2003 est.)
Literacy rate: 40.2%
Religions: 94% Muslim, 5% Christian, 1% indigenous beliefs
Ethnic Groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pilar 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, Lebanese and European and 9.4% other.
Official language: French. Main local language is Wolof.
Economy
Senegal, with the support of the international donor community undertook a bold economic reform program in 1994. The CAF franc was devalued by 50% and linked to the then French franc. Government price controls and subsidies steadily been dismantled all aiding in ensuring a turnaround in the economy. Investment in the economy has steadily grown and private activity now accounts for 82% of the GDP. Senegal does however face deep-seated problems of chronic unemployment and trade union militancy.
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
Exports include fish, cotton, peanuts, phosphates and petroleum products
Imports include fuels, capital goods, food and beverages
Agricultural products include rice, cotton, sorghum, tomatoes, green vegetables, millet, corn, peanuts, pigs, cattle, poultry and fish
Industries include petroleum refining, construction materials, phosphate mining, fish processing, fertilizer production, and agricultural processing
Natural Resources include iron ore, phosphates and fish
Political
Senegal gained independence from France in 1960 and became a Republic in 1963
Executive:
Chief of State – President Abdoulaye Wade since Apr 2000
Head of Government – Prime Minister Idrissa Seck since Nov 2002
Cabinet – Council of Ministers appointed in consultation with the president
Elections – president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Prime Minister is appointed by the president
Legislative:
Unicameral National Assembly
Elections – last held on 29 Apr 2001
Judicial:
Constitutional Court, Council of State, Court of Appeals, Court of Final Appeals.
The Judicial system was reformed in 1992
Date of Independence:
4 April 1960 (from France) complete independence achieved on 20 Aug 1960 after a dissolution of federation with Mali
Type of Government: Republic
Main Political Parties:
African Party for Democracy and Socialism; African Party of Independence; Alliance of Forces of Progress; Democratic and Patriotic Convention; Democratic League-Labour Party Movement; Front for Socialism and Democracy; Gainde Centrist Bloc; Independence and Labour Party; National Democratic Rally; Senegalese Democratic Party; Socialist Party; SOPI Coalition; Union for Democratic Renewal.
Last presidential elections : last held on 29 Apr 2001
South Africa /Senegal Relations
Representative offices were established in November 1993 in Pretoria and Dakar.
Full diplomatic relations were established on 6 May 1994.
After having closed its Embassy in Pretoria in December 1995, the Senegalese authorities re-established an Embassy in Pretoria during 2001.
Senegal's current Ambassador to South Africa is H E Mr. Samba Mbouri Mboup.
Agreements between South African and Senegal
Bilateral Air Services Agreement – 1 August 1996.
Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments Agreement – 19 June 1998.
Merchant Shipping Agreement – Being considered
Senegal public holidays
| New Years Day | 1 January |
| Armed Forces Day | 20 January |
| Tabaski (feast of sacrifice) | 12 February |
| Day of Democracy | 26 March |
| Easter Monday | 21 April |
| Labour Day | 1 May |
| Mawloud (Prophet’s birthday) | 14 May |
| Africa Day | 25 May |
| Independence Day | 22 September |
| Korite (end of Ramadan) | 26-28 November |
| Christmas Day | 25 December |
*Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of the various phases of the moon and therefore dates change accordingly every year.
More General Information
Local Time: GMT
Electrical Power: Electric current is 220v. 50 Hz in Dakar
Electrical plugs are the Continental type (two prongs)
Weather:
There are two main seasons:
June to October is the rainy season with temperatures ranging from 31 to 36 degrees Celsius
October to June is a dry season with the average temperatures ranging from 20 to 28 degrees Celsius.
Credit Cards:
Visa cards are the most widely used cards but American Express, Cirrus and Master Card can also be used.
Travellers Cheques:
Travellers cheques are easy to cash in Dakar. To avoid additional charges, travellers cheques should be in Euros.
Banking hours: Mon to Fri 0800-1100 and 1430-1600
Currency Exchange: The CFA franc is the unit of currency and you can exchange currency at the airport, banks and major hotels.
Housing:
Dakar has a number of real estate agencies.
Régie immobilière Mugnier & Cie
11, rue Mohamed V.
Tel: 823 4374
Agence immobilière Hortala
4, rue Sandiniéry
Tel: 823 2448
Television:
With “Antenne TV 5” or Mmds antenna you can receive a number of TV stations including TV 5
Press:
All newspapers are in French. However, foreign newspapers and magazines can be bought at the Aux Quatre vents and ClairAfrique bookstores or at most newsstands./www.senegalpost.com/
Telephones:
The country code dial code is 221 and the outgoing international code is 00. The Société nationale de télécommunications (Sonatel) is responsible for telephone service subscriptions.onatel.sn
Internet:
There are Internet cafes in Dakar, Saint Louis and other large towns. ISPs include Telecom Plus www.telecomplus.sn
You can also get an Internet and email account by contacting one of the following companies;
Sonatel Médina
Av. Malilck Sv x Blaise Diagne
Tel: 821 9914
Sentoo
Rue Amadou A. Ndoye x Dr Thèze
Tel: 823 4866
Please note that these listings serve only as a guideline to assist people planning on visiting Senegal and the Embassy is in no way associated with any of these establishments.
Tourism
Dakar
-
IFAN Museum on Place de Soweto houses a wonderful collection of musical instrument, masks and carvings from all over West Africa.
-
Marché Kermel is a lively market selling fabric, fruit and souvenirs.
-
Marché Sandaga is a large market with its main attraction being the large selection of fabrics.
-
The Grande Mosquée, just out side the city was built in 1964.
Although not open to non-Muslims the medina surrounding the mosque is worth a visit.
Siné-Saloum Delta
A mixture of beauty and the wild.
This delta is worth a visit just for its beautiful mangrove swamps, forest, lagoons and sand islands.
There is very good birding to be hade and if you are lucky you might even see a manatee in the lagoons.
Parc National du Niokolo-Koba
This is Senegal’s main and largest park which is home to some 80 species of mammals including elephant, lion, leopard, hippo etc. The best time to visit the park is from Dec to May.
Parc national du Djoudj
Open from November to April this park is located some 70km from St Louis and is considered the third largest bird sanctuary in the world.
There are about 3 million birds representing some 300 species.
Parc national du Niokolo Koba
Situated close to the border with the Republic of Guinea this park is located some 600km from Dakar and is home to lion, hippo, elephant etc.
Benedictine monasteries of Keur Moussa (monks) and Keur Guilaye (nuns)
Located some 50km from Dakar this is the perfect place for reflection and soul searching. A place of beauty and music.
The nuns produce and sell jam, cheese, tapes and CD’s (Gregorian chants, and musical instruments like the kora.
Beaches and scenery of Casamance
This region is home to some of the finest beaches and scenery in Senegal.
Sadly this region has been troubled in recent years by political unrest and care should be taken when visiting this region.
UNESCO World Heritage sites:
