Senegal flag
Basic facts of SenegalOfficial name: Republic of Senegal
Capital: Dakar
Area: 196,722 sq km, 75,955 sq mi
Population growth rate: 2.58 percent (2008 estimate)
Population density: 67 persons per sq km, 173 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution:
Share urban 51 percent (2005 estimate)
Share rural 49 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest cities: Dakar, Thiès, Kaolack, Ziguinchor, Saint-Louis
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Serer, Diola, Mandinka, other indigenous languages
Religious affiliations:
Muslim 87 percent
Indigenous beliefs 6 percent
Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 5 percent
Other 2 percent
Life expectancy:
Total 57.1 years (2008 estimate)
Female 58.5 years (2008 estimate)
Male 55.7 years (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate:
Total 42.1 percent (2005 estimate)
Female 32.6 percent (2005 estimate)
Male 51.7 percent (2005 estimate)
Literacy rate:
Total 42.1 percent (2005 estimate)
Female 32.6 percent (2005 estimate)
Male 51.7 percent (2005 estimate)
Form of government: Multiparty republic
Total number of military personnel: 13,620 (2004)
Introduction:
Senegal, republic in western Africa, bounded on the north by Mauritania, on the east by Mali, on the south by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia, a small, narrow country, forms an enclave in southern Senegal, extending inland along the Gambia River. The republic’s total area is 196,722 sq km (75,955 sq mi). Dakar is the capital and largest city.
Dakar Harbor, Senegal
Dakar, the capital and largest city of Senegal, was founded by the French in the mid-19th century in part because of its strategic position along the trade routes between Europe and ports in South Africa and South America. Today, Dakar has one of the best-equipped ports in West Africa and serves as a shipping center for Senegal, Mauritania, and The Gambia.