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“SENEGAL, AN OPEN COUNTRY AND A LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES” |
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Modern Senegal is a substantially stable,
prosperous and democratic African nation. Indeed, such
a model of African success has the uniqueness to
experience a peaceful political life, thanks to the
solidity of its institutions and a strong democratic
culture from a long historical process. Senegal’s
democratic tradition in a world today gripped with
violence, has won the country respect in spite of its
geographical size and small population.
Several political parties exist in Senegal and an
organized civic community takes part in the life of
the Nation.
With the favor of political change of power, a new
constitution, strengthening citizenship and devoting
recognition of new political and social rights to
Senegalese and all those foreigners living in the
country, has been adopted.
As a network of broad and open partnership, Senegal
enjoys strong confidence on the international arena
where it is respected and listened to. It plays a
leadership role in Africa in general, and west Africa
in particular. The new foreign policy looks towards
the consolidation of these assets and a close quality
relationship with foreign and local investors, in the
diplomatic representations around the world.
The Head of State, President Abdoulaye Wade, is one of
the most outspoken, principled and iconoclastic Africa
leaders on the scene today.
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OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Senegal
AREA: 196,840 Sq Km (76,000 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED POPULATION: 10,580,307 habitants
CAPITAL: Dakar
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Multiparty Republic
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74
recognized parties out of which 8 are represented in
the National Assembly. |
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The Head of State, President Abdoulaye Wade, is one of the most outspoken,
principled and iconoclastic Africa leaders on the scene today.
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Independence |
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4 April 1960
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National day |
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Independence Day, 4 April
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Constitution |
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a new Constitution was
adopted 7 January 2001 |
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Legal system |
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based on French civil law
system ; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the
Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage |
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Universal
(voting age :18 years) |
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Executive branch |
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Chief of
State: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Macky SALL
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the Prime Minister in
consultation with the President. |
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Legislative branch |
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Unicameral National
Assembly of 120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
serve five-year term) |
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Judicial branch |
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Constitutional Court;
Council of State; Court of Final Appeals (Cour de Cassation); Court of
Appeals; note - the judicial system was reformed in 1992. |
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Political parties |
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74 recognized parties out
of which 8 are represented in the National Assembly |
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Economy
- overview |
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In January 1994, Senegal
undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of
the international donor community. This reform began with a 50%
devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a
fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies
have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1%
in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform
program, with real growth in GDP averaging 5% annually during 1995-2003.
Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single digit. As a member
of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is
working toward greater regional integration with a unified external
tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating
a miniboom in information technology-based services. Private activity now
accounts for 82% of GDP. In 2004, GDP will probably again grow at about
7%. |
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LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: Senegal is located on the west coast of Africa.
It is bound by the Atlantic
Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, and it encloses the enclave of Gambia in the southwest.
The country can be divided into six geographical regions.
(1.) The Senegal River Valley.
(2.) The coastal belt which contains small swamps, oases, creeks, channels and mud flats.
(3.)
The western plains which consist of dry and barren land.
(4.) The Ferlo which is an inland continuation of the western plains and is semi-desert.
(5.) Casamance
which is separated by Gambia and has better
vegetation.
(6.) The eastern plains which consists of poor
pastureland.
The principal rivers are the Senegal, Casamance, Sine and Saloum.
Major Cities: Dakar, Thies, Kaolack, Ziguinchor, St. Louis, Tambacounda, Kolda, Matam, Fatick.
Land Use; forested 54%, pastures 16%, agricultural-cultivated 12%, other 18%.
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CLIMATE:
Senegal has a tropical climate
with a wet season from June to September and high
humidity along the coast. Rainfall decreases from
the south with the wet season extending to October
and an average precipitation varying from 1,500 mm
(60 inches) to 1,000 mm (40 inches) in the north, to
510 mm (20 inches) in the east. The prevailing winds
are the Harmattan in the dry season, which is a
dust-laden wind from the Sahara Desert while gale
force squalls or tornadoes occur at the beginning
and end of the rainy season. Average temperature
ranges in Dakar are from 18 to 26 degrees Celsius
(64 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 24 to 32
degrees Celsius (75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit) in
September. |
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BRIEF HISTORY |
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In
pre-colonial times, the portion of West Africa between
the Senegal and Casamance Rivers emerged as an
important strategic territory for vast empires intent
on controlling trans-Saharan trade. Later, Gorée
Island, Senegal's and Africa's western extreme, became
the point of departure for the majority of West
Africans forcibly exported to the Americas during the
brutal era of slavery. The French began and based
their West African colonial campaigns in the
Senegalese port city of Saint-Louis, at the mouth of
the Senegal River.
Senegal's first post-Independence president, writer
and intellectual Léopold Sédar Senghor, ruled for two
decades, maintaining close ties to France and
establishing Dakar, the Senegalese capital, as a
center of commerce and culture in West Africa.
Senegal's largest ethnic group, the Wolof, have
co-existed mostly peacefully with the Fulani, Tukulor,
Serer and Jola. |
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PEOPLE:
The ethnic composition of
Senegal is diverse with the principal ethnic group
the Wolof who account for 44% of the population.
Others include the Fulani who account for 17.5% of
the population while the Serer account for 14.8%,
the Toucouleur for 9%, the Diola for 9%, the
Mandingo for 6.5%, and other Africans for 4.5%. The
White minority accounts for 1% of the population and
consists of French and Lebanese. |
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ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION |
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Administrative :
11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar,
Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda,
Divisions: Louga,Matam, Saint-Louis,
Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
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RELIGIONS AND LANGUAGES: |
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Around 94% of the population are Sunni Muslims while
5% are Christians predominantly Roman Catholic and
around 1% follow local native tribal beliefs.
The official language is French, although only about
12% of the population can speak it. Other minority
languages include Serer, Pulaar, Diola, Manding and
Sarakole while Wolof is the national language. |
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CURRENCY:
The
official currency is the CFA Franc (Communaute
Financiere Africaine-CFAF) which has a fixed
exchange rate against Euro (1Euro = 655.957 CFA). |
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TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY |
" Do
go to Senegal, gateway to Black Africa. Fly there in
under five hours, from Europe to hundreds of miles
of soft sandy beaches.
From December to May, there lies the California of
Africa. Sea, the Canaries' stream gently warms up.
Cool air, gently swept up by trade-winds. Cloudless
skies streaming with blazing sunshine that warms,
invigorates and gives white skins the velvet touch
of black skins.
Do visit
Kayar beach where
miraculous loads of fish are carried ashore,
Niokolo-Koba Park where
lions and elephants,
hippopotamuses and buffaloes enjoy free
life..."
Léopold Sédar Senghor
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HUMAN RIGHTS |
Senegal has a history of active co-operation with the international
community and its attentiveness to international concerns about human rights. It was the first state to
ratify the statute of the international criminal court. |
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