country profile

geography and climate

environment

population

ethnic groups

religion

history

historical Gorée

state & culture

government

international organizations

recent political events

Casamance & Guinea-Bissau

economy

health

"teranga"

education

important numbers

medical services

insurance

banking systems

receiving money transfers

business hours

public holidays

personal identification

personal security

mail

telephone/fax

e-mail/Internet

getting around

major airlines

travel agencies

Hotels and Restaurants in Dakar

Cultural and Leisure Activities

museums

galleries

performances and cinema

live music and night-clubs

sports facilities

daytrips : soumbedioune

Gorée and back

chaloupe schedule

Ker Moussa Pink Lake

Petite Cote Sine Saloum

Saint Louis

Major Cities: Thies, Kaolack, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor,

Rufisque

Area: 196.722 km2 (approx, size of South Dakota)

Population: 8.786.765 (est.)

Density: 44.6 inhabitants per km2

Resources: fishing, tourism, peanuts and phosphates

Religion: Muslim (90%), Christian (5%), Animist (5%)

Literacy: 38.3% of the adult population (1990)

Currency: Franc CFA ($1 US = 600 f CFA)

Most of Senegal is a flat plain which slopes gradually form the Fouta-Djalon mountains in the extreme Southeast toward the ocean. Two well-defined dry and humid seasons result from north-east winter winds and south-west summer winds. The rainy season runs from July to October and tends to be hot, humid and wet, although recurrent drought has been a problem for the past 15 years. The dry season, which makes up the rest of the year, tends to be very hot and arid, except in the coastal regions where the temperature and humidity are modified by ocean breezes.

Annual rainfall in the capital city, Dakar, is about 61 centimetres (24 in.) and occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 270 (820F) and humidity is high. December to February temperatures are about 170C (630F). Temperatures in the interior are higher than along the coast, and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 150 cm (60 in.) annually in some areas.

North of the Gambia the country is arid, a once productive grassland now devastated by over-cultivation, deforestation and drought. South of the Gambia, the country is wooded savannah, a lush forest although not rain forest where the effects of the drought have been less severe. Senegal is drained by four major rivers; the Senegal, Saloum, Casamance and Gambia. Each is navigable by ocean-going vessels for a substantial distance inland.

Today, Senegal is divided into 10 administrative regions which regroup 30 departments; Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint Louis, Tambacounda, Thies and Ziguinchor.

Flag of Senegal: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centred in the yellow band, uses the popular pan-African colours of Ethiopia.

Current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, desertification, overfishing. International agreements: party to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes, law of the sea, marine life conservation, nuclear test ban, ozone layer protection, wetlands. Signed but not ratified: marine dumping.

In 1960, the country's population was just over three million inhabitants. Today, that number has tripled and is increasingly young with 42% of the population under 15 years of age and 50% under 20. It is estimated today that 38% of the population is urban. In rural areas, density varied from about 77 per km2 (200 per square mile) in the west central region to 2 per km2 (5 per sq. mile) in the arid section. About 50.000 Europeans, Syrians and Lebanese reside in Senegal, mainly in the cities.

Of the country's 9 million inhabitants, about 35% are Wolof. Almost all of the remainder is made up of Serer (17%), Pula/Fulani (12%), Toucouleur, Diola, Mandingue or Soninke. The Wolof are mainly concentrated in the area north of Dakar and Thies. The Serer are generally found east and south of Dakar, the Toucouleur in the north and east along the Senegal River, the Pula in the north, the Diola in the Casamance, the Mandingue in the central and eastern regions and the Soninke in the east. Dakar is also home to many immigrants from neighbouring countries such as Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, The Gambia, Niger and Nigeria, as well as to refugees fleeing conflict ridden Sierra Leone and Liberia.

In Senegal today, particularly in urban areas where many families have both Moslem and Christian members, there is an interplay between the he two traditions, most notable during holidays. Senegal's population is approximately 92% Muslim, so naturally this religion has a significant role in the society. The remaining 8% is composed of Christian (mostly Catholic) or those who adhere to their traditional religious practices (so-called ,animism"). The majority of Senegalese Muslims belong to one of four brotherhoods (confreries). These are the Mourides, the Tidjanes, the Khadirs and the Layenes. The rapidly growing city of Touba. is the capital of the Mouride brotherhood, founded by Cheikh Amadou Bamba at the turn of the century. Every year, Mourides perform a Magal, or pilgrimage to Touba 48 days after the Islamic new year. The Tidjanes celebrate the birth of the prophet Mohammed (Maouloud) in their holy city of Tivaouane.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to trade in Senegal, arriving in the 15th century. They were soon followed by the Dutch and French. During the 19th century, the French gradually established control over the interior regions and administered them as a protectorate until 1920, and as a colony thereafter. In 1920, Dakar was the capital of all of French West Africa. In 1946, a territorial assembly was elected by a restricted franchise and given advisory powers. These were gradually expanded and the franchise broadened in succeeding years. After the 1958 French constitutional referendum, Senegal became a member of the French Community with virtually complete internal autonomy.

In January 1959, Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent on June 20, 1960, as a result of independence and the transfer of power agreement signed with France on April 4, 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the federation broke up on August 20, 1960; Senegal and Soudan (renamed the Republic of Mali) each proclaimed separate independence. Leopold Sedar Senghor, internationally renowned poet, politician, and statesman, was elected Senegal's first president in September 1960.

Today a languorous and quaint haunt for tourists with about 1,000 permanent residents, Gorée played an important role in the history of Africa, most particularly in the development of the slave trade.

Only three kilometres from Dakar at its nearest point, the island is made up of a flat plain which ends in a steep basaltic hill, the "Castle", and is only 900 meters by 300. Possibly sighted by Phoenicians and others in Antiquity, it was more probably first discovered by the Portuguese explorer Dias in 1444.

The island was colonized in 1817. As with Manhattan Island, the Dutch bought the island from a local chief for a pittance. Gorée became a way station for Dutch ships plying the route between their forts on the Gold Coast and the Indies. The Dutch gate the island its name, most probably for "Goeree" Island in Holland, or more fancifully for its sheltered harbour "Goode Reede" (good roads).

Gorée changed hands many times. the British took it from the Dutch, the Dutch then recaptured it, but had to give it up to the French during the time of French maritime expansion under Cologne. Finally, in 1802, by the terms of the Amiens peace agreement, the island became French and remained so until Senegalese independence in 1960.

Gorée was first of all the principal entrepot for slavers and merchant men off the coast of Africa flying the French flag. No matter how many times it changed hands, that was its primary importance. Thousands of Africans - the "Black Gold" of the triangular trade - passed through this island fortress on the continent's bulge. After the abolition of the slave trade in France in 1848, Gorée was an outpost for policing the seas. As its role in trade declined, it became a stepping-off point for French colonization of the interior of West Africa.

Gorée had the first teacher training school and the first printing plant in French Africa. It was also one of the Four Communes which already in the 19th century were helping elect deputies to the French National Assembly. Like Zanzibar off the East coast of Africa, Gorée was important in the early history of American relations with Africa.

The State and the Cultural Sector

After the country's independence, the Senegalese government engaged in a sweeping political agenda targeting the cultural industry, which essentially consisted of presenting to the world the image of a liberated nation, still loyal however to its "tutor", France.

This art, modern and cerebral, was born and bred under the tutelage of Leopold Sedar Senghor the Poet President who formulated a revalorisation and a recognition of the black race and the "African soul", radically opposed to Western rationalism, individualism and materialism, which he called Negritude. This ideology put to practice was meant to bring about a Renaissance to Black African culture in the heart of Senegalese society

Dakar - which since the First World Festival of Negro Arts in 1966 is considered to be the Metropolis of Fine arts in West Africa - counts over 10 galleries (two state- subsidized), holds seven cultural centres (two state-subsidized), organizes a Biennial of Contemporary African Art and attributes a Grand Prix for the Arts every two years.

Banque Mondiale: 3, Place de l' Indépendance, 5th

Tel. 823.36.30

Bureau International du Travail: 22, rue Assess Ndoye

Tel. 823.59.75

Centre d' Information des Nations Uni 12, Av. Roume.

Tel. 823.30.70

CESAG: Bd. General de Gaulle.

Tel. 822.80.22

CRDI /IDRC: Av. Cheikh Anta Diop X Bd. de l' Est.

Tel. 824.09.20

Comité International de la Croix Rouge: Point E, rue 6

Tel. 824.12.93

OMS: 22 Bv. Djily Mbaye.

Tel. 823.27.69

UNICEF: 2, rue Carnot x Salva.

Tel. 823.50.80

UNESCO: 12, Av. Roume.

Tel. 823.50.82

USAID: 2 Av. Fadiga.

Tel. 823.16.80

The presidential election of February 21, 1993 was the first to take place following the promulgation of a new electoral code designed to restore public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. This confidence had been compromised by allegations of fraud following the 1988 elections. The most significant feature of the new code negotiated and approved by a multi-party commission, was the right provided to political parties to supervise, monitor and participate in various steps of the electoral process. On election day, almost 1.5 million voters went to the polls to choose among eight candidates. The leading contenders were the incumbent President Abdou Diouf of the Parti Socialiste (PS), and Abdoulaye Wade. Diouf is a long-time adversary of the Parti Democratique Senegalais (PDS). With the exception of several violent incidents in the Casamance, election day was generally calm. Tabulation of the results, however, was delayed by sharp disagreement among members of the National Tabulation Commission - a body composed of a representative of each candidate and a magistrate from the Court of Appeals.

Representatives of the opposition party candidates called for the annulment of results issuing from several of Senegal's 31 departments on various grounds, most notably the alleged fraudulent use of special voting "ordinances" by PS supporters. After two weeks of deadlock, the Commission passed its responsibilities on to the constitutional council, the final arbiter of electoral disputes. on March 13, the Council declared Abdou Diouf the winner with 58% of the vote; Abdoulaye Wade came in second with 32%. Many supporters of the opposition party candidates, concentrated in Senegal's largest urban areas of Dakar and Pikine, contest the validity of these figures. As a result, a heightened state of tension has come to prevail over these cities, spilling over at times into acts of violent protest

On the eve of the May 1998 legislative elections, the opposition parties - unwilling to relive the fraudulous events having tainted prior elections (1996 local and 1993 legislative) - demanded the supervision of the May 98 elections by an autonomous organization invested with the authority to make a fair call. They obtained no more than the creation of a National Observatory of Elections (ONEL) with a very limited power. Despite its inherent limitations, this new organization - thanks to the quality of its members 0 greatly contributed in minimizing the cases of fraud and in pacifying the electoral process of May 24.

In effect, for the first time since 1988, the country was not shaken by a violent protest following the elections. It would seem, however, that fraudulous activities indeed occurred, this time during the counting of the ballots. It was by manipulating these numbers and in creating fictitious voting stations that the central administration was once again able ,to distort the voice of the people. The next presidential elections are scheduled to take place in February 2000.

On July 8, 1999, the government of Senegal signed a cease-fire agreement with the southern separatist group, the Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC). Government troops have been in the area since the GOS redeployed forces in 1992 to end violence perpetuated by rebels and by the two factions of the MFDC. The MFDC, whose members come predominantly from the Diola ethnic group, have been campaigning for the independence of the Casamance region for the past ten years. There are still periodic bouts of violence and clashes between the MFDC and the Senegalese army, mostly in the southern region of Casamance.

Today, all Guinean and Senegalese troops have left Guinea Bissau. In spite of the security belt installed by Senegalese troops along the border, MFDC rebels having fought alongside Mane's troops are now infiltrating back into Senegal and, as a result, violence has resumed in the Casamance region of the country

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore Land use:

Irrigated land: 710 sq. km

GM purchasing power parity: -0615.6 billion

real growth rate: 4.7%

per capita purchase power: $1850

Inflation rate: 2 . 5 06

Labour force: agriculture 60%

Unemployment rate: urban youth 40%,

Senegal's resource-poor economy is vulnerable to droughts, environmental degradation, and international commodity price fluctuations, and is heavily dependent on international donor assistance. Senegal is overwhelmingly agricultural, with more than 70% of the labour force engaged in farming. Peanut production accounts for half of agricultural output, and for crops especially millet, rice, corn, sorghum and beans currently provide about two thirds of the country's food needs. The government plans extensive exploitation of the Senegal River basin and the southern Casamance region with the aim of moving Senegal closer to food self-sufficiency. In spite of its problems, the fishing sector has become a bright spot on the Senegalese economic horizon Phosphate production, the third major foreign exchange earner, has increased and markets have expanded Receipts from tourism, the fourth major foreign exchange earner, continue to climb. Since the early 1980s, President Diouf has pursued an ambitious reform program (undertaken with substantial donor help) designed to liberalise the economy by strengthening incentives to economic activity in the agricultural and industrial sectors and reducing the cost of government and improving its operations. Although trade in recent years has improved as a result of increases in world prices for Senegal's major export commodities peanuts and phosphates - as well as lower world oil prices, Senegal's external debt continues to require nearly 22% of annual earnings from exports and services, even after debt relief is taken into account. Senegal has excellent infrastructure, including well developed port facilities, a major international airport serving 24 international airlines, direct and expanding telecommunications links with major world centres and a good road and railways system.

15-64 years: 49%

65+ years: 3%

total population: 57.37 years

male: 54.55 years

female: 60.28 years

The major health problems are the target of programs carried out on all levels of the health pyramid. These include, among others, the National Family Planning Program, the Extended Immunization Program, the fight against diarrhoeal diseases, the national campaign against STDs and AIDS, the national campaign against neo-natal tetanus and the national malaria program. These programs continue to be implemented vertically, and still need to be better integrated.

Hospitality or "teranga" is a highly prized traditional value in Senegal. Teranga is more than a practice. It is a philosophical code. It is based on the belief that a mother who assists a foreigner or visitor ensures that her children will never find themselves in a desperate situation away from home without help or support.

In traditional Senegal, conditions favoured the development of teranga. People were self-sufficient in food and social solidarity was the rule rather than the exception. When receiving a guest, one could count on the support and assistance of the community. The group felt that the guest of any one member of the community was everybody's guest. Even today, in most Senegalese villages, all the neighbours send food when someone is receiving a guest.

In spite of all the material and financial problems and constraints encountered during these difficult times the ideal of teranga survives as a point of reference and continues to exist in most families. Senegalese people in general still prefer to maintain some form of traditional teranga rather than what they perceive as the colder Western attitudes towards foreigners or strangers. They still tell their children the story of Mor Lam's Soup Bone (written in its modern version by Birago Diop) which represents the antithesis of hospitality. It tells the story of a man who does not want to share his luscious soup bone with an unexpected visitor. Mor Lam tries to delay meal-time by producing excuses, hoping that the guest will leave before the meal is served. His final excuse is to have his wife tell the guest that he has died. Mor Lam winds up being buried alive, an appropriate punishment for such an inhospitable man.

Level No. of Students

Kindergarten 18,500

Primary 738,560

Lower Secondary (General) 136,583

Upper Secondary (General and Technical 49,656

University 20,348*

*(of which 17,498 are Senegalese)

The minister of education has recently put into effect a project centred around the following six objectives:

1. The development of pre-school education with increased participation of the general population and the private sector.
2. The development of elementary level teaching with the aim of providing universal education.
3. Improvement in the quality of middle and secondary school teaching as well as in the management and direction of the institutions.
4. Making technical teaching and professional training a priority with the development of apprenticeships and the creation of technical training centres.
5. The eradication of illiteracy through non-formal alternative education and the promotion of national languages.
6. Better adaptation to the needs of development and the marketplace, and the reinforcement of scientific and technical research in higher education.

information 12

police 17

fire 18

Hopital Principal: Ave Mandela x Roume. Tel.823.27.41

S.U.M.A.: Km 5, Ave Cheikh Anta Diop. Tel.824.24.18

SOS Medecin: House calls & ambulance service. Tel.821.32.13

Clinique de la Madeleine. Tel.821.94.70

Institut Pasteur. Tel.823.51.81

Laboratoire BIO-24: 13 bis rue Dr. Theze x AK Bourgi

Tel.822.51.51

Cap Vert: 43 Ave Lamine Gueye, Mme Latouffe. Tel.821.74.06

Drugstore: 60 Ave Georges Pompidou. Tel.822.22.27

Point E: Blvd. de l' Est, Mme Bocoum. Tel.824.56.04

Baobab: Rue Edgo Immeuble 11c., Sicap Baobab.

Tel. 825.44.57

Dr. Maziar Djoneidi: rue A x rue 1, Point E. Tel.825.75.03

Dr. El Hadj Diab Ali: Clinique du Cap, Ave Pasteur

Tel.821.56.43

Dr. Francis Claude: Hopital Principal, Ave Mandela x Roume

Tel.822.27.41