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World > Africa > Senegal
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Senegal |
Introduction:
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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 was ruled by the Socialist Party for 40 years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The most significant threat within Senegal since the 1980s has been led by the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC). Although a peace agreement was signed in December 2004, internal rifts continue to keep the peace process deadlocked. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
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| Official name: |
Republic of Senegal |
| Capital: |
name: Dakar
geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
republic |
| Population: |
12,521,851 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka |
| Official Currency: |
CFA Franc BCEAO (XOF)
Current CFA Franc BCEAO Exchange Rates
Historical CFA Franc BCEAO Exchange Rates
Chart CFA Franc BCEAO Exchange Rates |
| Currency code: |
XOF |
| Area: |
total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind |
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Map of Senegal
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