3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Senegal  \Sen"e*gal\,  n. 
  Gum  senegal.  See  under  {Gum}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Senegal 
  n  :  a  republic  in  western  Africa  on  the  coast  of  the  Atlantic; 
  formerly  a  French  colony  [syn:  {Senegal}] 
 
  From  The  CIA  World  Factbook  (1995)  [world95]: 
 
  Senegal 
 
  Senegal:Geography 
 
  Location:  Western  Africa,  bordering  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean,  between 
  Guinea-Bissau  and  Mauritania 
 
  Map  references:  Africa 
 
  Area: 
  total  area:  196,190  sq  km 
  land  area:  192,000  sq  km 
  comparative  area:  slightly  smaller  than  South  Dakota 
 
  Land  boundaries:  total  2,640  km  The  Gambia  740  km  Guinea  330  km 
  Guinea-Bissau  338  km  Mali  419  km  Mauritania  813  km 
 
  Coastline:  531  km 
 
  Maritime  claims: 
  contiguous  zone:  24  nm 
  continental  shelf:  200  nm  or  to  the  edge  of  the  continental  margin 
  exclusive  economic  zone:  200  nm 
  territorial  sea:  12  nm 
 
  International  disputes:  short  section  of  the  boundary  with  The  Gambia 
  is  indefinite;  boundary  with  Mauritania  in  dispute; 
 
  Climate:  tropical;  hot,  humid;  rainy  season  (December  to  April)  has 
  strong  southeast  winds;  dry  season  (May  to  November)  dominated  by  hot, 
  dry  harmattan  wind 
 
  Terrain:  generally  low  rolling,  plains  rising  to  foothills  in 
  southeast 
 
  Natural  resources:  fish,  phosphates,  iron  ore 
 
  Land  use: 
  arable  land:  27% 
  permanent  crops:  0% 
  meadows  and  pastures:  30% 
  forest  and  woodland:  31% 
  other:  12% 
 
  Irrigated  land:  1,800  sq  km  (1989  est.) 
 
  Environment: 
  current  issues:  wildlife  populations  threatened  by  poaching; 
  deforestation;  overgrazing  soil  erosion;  desertification  overfishing 
 
  natural  hazards:  lowlands  seasonally  flooded;  periodic  droughts 
  international  agreements:  party  to  -  Biodiversity,  Climate  Change, 
  Endangered  Species,  Hazardous  Wastes,  Law  of  the  Sea,  Marine  Life 
  Conservation,  Nuclear  Test  Ban,  Ozone  Layer  Protection,  Wetlands, 
  Whaling;  signed,  but  not  ratified  -  Desertification  Marine  Dumping 
 
  Note:  The  Gambia  is  almost  an  enclave  of  Senegal 
 
  Senegal:People 
 
  Population:  9,007,080  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Age  structure: 
  0-14  years:  45%  (female  2,004,514;  male  2,021,251) 
  15-64  years:  52%  (female  2,398,609;  male  2,301,236) 
  65  years  and  over:  3%  (female  140,128;  male  141,342)  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Population  growth  rate:  3.12%  (1995  est.) 
 
  Birth  rate:  42.87  births/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Death  rate:  11.64  deaths/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Net  migration  rate:  NA  migrant(s)/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Infant  mortality  rate:  73.6  deaths/1,000  live  births  (1995  est.) 
 
  Life  expectancy  at  birth: 
  total  population:  57.16  years 
  male:  55.65  years 
  female:  58.71  years  (1995  est.) 
 
  Total  fertility  rate:  6.03  children  born/woman  (1995  est.) 
 
  Nationality: 
  noun:  Senegalese  (singular  and  plural) 
  adjective:  Senegalese 
 
  Ethnic  divisions:  Wolof  36%,  Fulani  17%,  Serer  17%,  Toucouleur  9%, 
  Diola  9%,  Mandingo  9%,  European  and  Lebanese  1%,  other  2% 
 
  Religions:  Muslim  92%,  indigenous  beliefs  6%,  Christian  2%  (mostly 
  Roman  Catholic) 
 
  Languages:  French  (official),  Wolof,  Pulaar,  Diola,  Mandingo 
 
  Literacy:  age  15  and  over  can  read  and  write  (1988) 
  total  population:  27% 
  male:  37% 
  female:  18% 
 
  Labor  force:  2.509  million  (77%  are  engaged  in  subsistence  farming; 
  175,000  wage  earners) 
  by  occupation:  private  sector  40%,  government  and  parapublic  60% 
 
  Senegal:Government 
 
  Names: 
  conventional  long  form:  Republic  of  Senegal 
  conventional  short  form:  Senegal 
  local  long  form:  Republique  du  Senegal 
  local  short  form:  Senegal 
 
  Digraph:  SG 
 
  Type:  republic  under  multiparty  democratic  rule 
 
  Capital:  Dakar 
 
  Administrative  divisions:  10  regions  (regions,  singular  -  region); 
  Dakar,  Diourbel  Fatick,  Kaolack  Kolda,  Louga,  Saint-Louis, 
  Tambacounda  Thies,  Ziguinchor 
 
  Independence:  20  August  1960  (from  France;  The  Gambia  and  Senegal 
  signed  an  agreement  on  12  December  1981  that  called  for  the  creation 
  of  a  loose  confederation  to  be  known  as  Senegambia  but  the  agreement 
  was  dissolved  on  30  September  1989) 
 
  National  holiday:  Independence  Day  4  April  (1960) 
 
  Constitution:  3  March  1963,  revised  1991 
 
  Legal  system:  based  on  French  civil  law  system;  judicial  review  of 
  legislative  acts  in  Supreme  Court,  which  also  audits  the  government's 
  accounting  office;  has  not  accepted  compulsory  ICJ  jurisdiction 
 
  Suffrage:  18  years  of  age;  universal 
 
  Executive  branch: 
  chief  of  state:  President  Abdou  DIOUF  (since  1  January  1981);  election 
  last  held  21  February  1993  (next  to  be  held  NA  February  2000);  results 
  -  Abdou  DIOUF  PS  58.4%,  Abdoulaye  WADE  (PDS)  32.03%,  other  9.57% 
  head  of  government:  Prime  Minister  Habib  THIAM  (since  7  April  1991) 
  cabinet:  Council  of  Ministers;  appointed  by  the  prime  minister  in 
  consultation  with  the  president 
 
  Legislative  branch:  unicameral 
  National  Assembly  (Assemblee  Nationale):  elections  last  held  9  May 
  1993  (next  to  be  held  NA  May  1998);  results  -  PS  70%,  PDS  23%,  other 
  7%;  seats  -  (120  total)  PS  84,  PDS  27,  LD-MPT  3,  Let  Us  Unite  Senegal 
  3,  PIT  2,  UDS-R  1 
 
  Judicial  branch:  Supreme  Court  (Cour  Supreme) 
 
  Political  parties  and  leaders:  Socialist  Party  (PS),  President  Abdou 
  DIOUF  Senegalese  Democratic  Party  (PDS),  Abdoulaye  WADE;  Democratic 
  League-Labor  Party  Movement  (LD-MPT),  Dr  Abdoulaye  BATHILY 
  Independent  Labor  Party  (PIT),  Amath  DANSOKHO  Senegalese  Democratic 
  Union-Renewal  (UDS-R),  Mamadou  Puritain  FALL;  Let  Us  Unite  Senegal 
  (coalition  of  African  Party  for  Democracy  and  Socialism  and  National 
  Democratic  Rally);  other  small  uninfluential  parties 
 
  Other  political  or  pressure  groups:  students;  teachers;  labor;  Muslim 
  Brotherhoods 
 
  Member  of:  ACCT,  ACP,  AfDB  CCC,  CEAO,  ECA,  ECOWAS  FAO,  FZ  G-15, 
  G-77,  GATT,  IAEA,  IBRD,  ICAO,  ICC,  ICFTU  ICRM,  IDA,  IDB,  IFAD,  IFC, 
  IFRCS  ILO,  IMF,  IMO,  INMARSAT  INTELSAT,  INTERPOL,  IOC,  IOM 
  (observer),  ITU,  NAM,  OAU,  OIC,  PCA,  UN  UNAMIR  UNCTAD  UNESCO, 
  UNIDO  UNIKOM  UNMIH  UNOMUR  UPU,  WADB,  WCL,  WFTU  WHO  WIPO,  WMO, 
  WTO 
 
  Diplomatic  representation  in  US: 
  chief  of  mission:  Ambassador  Mamadou  Mansour  SECK 
  chancery:  2112  Wyoming  Avenue  NW  Washington,  DC  20008 
  telephone:  [1]  (202)  234-0540,  0541 
 
  US  diplomatic  representation: 
  chief  of  mission:  Ambassador  Mark  JOHNSON 
  embassy:  Avenue  Jean  XXIII  at  the  corner  of  Avenue  Kleber  Dakar 
  mailing  address:  B.  P.  49,  Dakar 
  telephone:  [221]  23  42  96,  23  34  24 
  FAX:  [221]  22  29  91 
 
  Flag:  three  equal  vertical  bands  of  green  (hoist  side),  yellow,  and 
  red  with  a  small  green  five-pointed  star  centered  in  the  yellow  band; 
  uses  the  popular  pan-African  colors  of  Ethiopia 
 
  Economy 
 
  Overview:  In  1994  Senegal  embarked  on  its  most  concerted  structural 
  adjustment  effort  yet  to  exploit  the  50%  devaluation  of  the  currencies 
  of  the  14  Francophone  African  nations  on  12  January.  After  years  of 
  foot-dragging,  the  government  finally  passed  a  liberalized  labor  code 
  which  should  significantly  help  lower  the  cost  of  labor  and  improve 
  the  manufacturing  sector's  competitiveness.  Inroads  also  have  been 
  made  in  closing  tax  loopholes  and  eliminating  monopoly  power  in 
  several  sectors.  At  the  same  time  the  government  is  holding  the  line 
  on  current  fiscal  expenditure  under  the  watchful  eyes  of  international 
  organizations  on  which  it  depends  for  substantial  support.  A  bumper 
  peanut  crop  -  Senegal's  main  source  of  foreign  exchange  -  coincided 
  with  an  improvement  of  international  prices  and  probably  resulted  in  a 
  doubling  of  earnings  in  1994  over  1993.  The  country's  narrow  resource 
  base,  environmental  degradation,  and  untamed  population  growth  will 
  continue  to  hold  back  growth  in  living  standards  over  the  medium  term. 
 
  National  product:  GDP  -  purchasing  power  parity  -  $12.3  billion  (1993 
  est.) 
 
  National  product  real  growth  rate:  -2%  (1993  est.) 
 
  National  product  per  capita:  $1,450  (1993  est.) 
 
  Inflation  rate  (consumer  prices):  -1.8%  (1991  est.) 
 
  Unemployment  rate:  NA% 
 
  Budget: 
  revenues:  $1.2  billion 
  expenditures:  $1.2  billion,  including  capital  expenditures  of  $269 
  million  (1992  est.) 
 
  Exports:  $904  million  (f.o.b.,  1991  est.) 
  commodities:  fish,  ground  nuts  (peanuts),  petroleum  products, 
  phosphates,  cotton 
  partners:  France,  other  EC  countries,  Cote  d'Ivoire,  Mali 
 
  Imports:  $1.2  billion  (c.i.f.,  1991  est.) 
  commodities:  foods  and  beverages,  consumer  goods,  capital  goods, 
  petroleum 
  partners:  France,  other  EC  countries,  Nigeria,  Cote  d'Ivoire,  Algeria, 
  China,  Japan 
 
  External  debt:  $2.9  billion  (1990) 
 
  Industrial  production:  growth  rate  1.9%  (1991);  accounts  for  15%  of 
  GDP 
 
  Electricity: 
  capacity:  230,000  kW 
  production:  720  million  kWh 
  consumption  per  capita:  79  kWh  (1993) 
 
  Industries:  agricultural  and  fish  processing,  phosphate  mining, 
  petroleum  refining,  building  materials 
 
  Agriculture:  accounts  for  20%  of  GDP;  major  products  -  peanuts  (cash 
  crop),  millet,  corn,  sorghum,  rice,  cotton,  tomatoes,  green 
  vegetables;  estimated  two-thirds  self-sufficient  in  food;  fish  catch 
  of  354,000  metric  tons  in  1990 
 
  Illicit  drugs:  transshipment  point  for  Southwest  and  Southeast  Asian 
  heroin  moving  to  Europe  and  North  America 
 
  Economic  aid: 
  recipient:  US  commitments,  including  Ex-Im  (FY70-89),  $551  million; 
  Western  (non-US)  countries,  ODA  and  OOF  bilateral  commitments 
  (1970-89),  $5.23  billion;  OPEC  bilateral  aid  (1979-89),  $589  million; 
  Communist  countries  (1970-89),  $295  million 
 
  Currency:  1  CFA  franc  CFAF  =  100  centimes 
 
  Exchange  rates:  Communaute  Financiere  Africaine  francs  CFAF  per  US$1 
  -  529.43  (January  1995),  555.20  (1994),  283.16  (1993),  264.69  (1992), 
  282.11  (1991),  272.26  (1990) 
  note:  the  official  rate  is  pegged  to  the  French  franc,  and  beginning 
  12  January  1994,  the  CFA  franc  was  devalued  to  CFAF  100  per  French 
  franc  from  CFAF  50  at  which  it  had  been  fixed  since  1948 
 
  Fiscal  year:  calendar  year 
 
  Senegal:Transportation 
 
  Railroads: 
  total:  905  km 
  narrow  gauge:  905  km  1.000-meter  gauge  (70  km  double  track) 
 
  Highways: 
  total:  14,007  km 
  paved:  3,777  km 
  unpaved:  crushed  stone,  improved  earth  10,230  km 
 
  Inland  waterways:  897  km  total;  785  km  on  the  Senegal,  112  km  on  the 
  Saloum 
 
  Ports:  Dakar,  Kaolack  Matam,  Podor,  Richard-Toll,  Saint-Louis, 
  Ziguinchor 
 
  Merchant  marine: 
  total:  1  bulk  ship  (1,000  GRT  or  over)  totaling  1,995  GRT/3,775  DWT 
 
  Airports: 
  total:  24 
  with  paved  runways  over  3,047  m:  1 
  with  paved  runways  1,524  to  2,437  m:  9 
  with  paved  runways  914  to  1,523  m:  1 
  with  paved  runways  under  914  m:  2 
  with  unpaved  runways  1,524  to  2,438  m:  4 
  with  unpaved  runways  914  to  1,523  m:  7 
 
  Senegal:Communications 
 
  Telephone  system:  NA  telephones;  above-average  urban  system 
  local:  NA 
  intercity:  microwave  and  cable 
  international:  3  submarine  cables;  1  INTELSAT  (Atlantic  Ocean)  earth 
  station 
 
  Radio: 
  broadcast  stations:  AM  8,  FM  0,  shortwave  0 
  radios:  NA 
 
  Television: 
  broadcast  stations:  1 
  televisions:  NA 
 
  Senegal:Defense  Forces 
 
  Branches:  Army,  Navy,  Air  Force,  National  Gendarmerie,  National  Police 
  (Surete  Nationale) 
 
  Manpower  availability:  males  age  15-49  2,021,019;  males  fit  for 
  military  service  1,054,855;  males  reach  military  age  (18)  annually 
  96,589  (1995  est.) 
 
  Defense  expenditures:  exchange  rate  conversion  -  $134  million,  2.1%  of 
  GDP  (1993) 
 
 
 

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