Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of theOld World, orAfro-Eurasia.[15] It owes its name to theSenegal River, which borders it to the east and north.[16] The climate is typicallySahelian, though there is arainy season. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 18 million.[17][18] The state is apresidential republic; since the country's foundation in 1960, it has been recognized as one of the most stable countries on the African continent.[19] On the 2024V-Dem Democracy Indices, Senegal is ranked 68th in electoral democracy worldwide and 10th inelectoral democracy in Africa.[20]
The state was formed as part of the independence ofFrench West Africa fromFrench colonial rule. Because of this history, French is the official language, but it is understood by only a minority of the population.[21]Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal.Wolof is the most widely spoken one, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language,[22] acting as Senegal'slingua franca alongside French. Like other African nations, the country includes a widemix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being theWolof,Fula, andSerer people. Senegalese people are predominantlyMuslim.[23]
The country of Senegal is named after theSenegal River. The name of the river may derive from aPortuguese transliteration of the name of theZenaga, also known as theSanhaja.[26] Alternatively, it could be a combination of the supreme deity inSerer religion (Rog Sene) ando gal, meaning ‘body of water’ in theSerer language. French author and priest David Boilat proposed that the name comes from theWolof phrase "sunuu gaal", which means "our canoe".[27]
Archaeological findings throughout the area indicate that Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times and has been continuously occupied by various ethnic groups. Some kingdoms were created between the 6th and 14th centuries, such asTakrur in the 6th century, Namandiru, and theJolof Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries. Eastern Senegal was once part of theGhana Empire.
Islam was introduced by theToucouleur andSoninke through their contact with theAlmoravid dynasty of theMaghreb, who helped spread it with their Toucouleur allies. This movement faced resistance from ethnicities of traditional religions, the Serers in particular.[28][29]
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the area came under the influence of the empires to the east; the Jolof Empire of Senegal was also founded during this time. In the Senegambia region, between 1300 and 1900, close to one-third of the population wasenslaved, typically as a result of being taken captive in warfare.[30]
In the 14th century, the Jolof Empire grew more powerful, having unitedCayor and the kingdoms ofBaol,Siné,Saloum,Waalo,Futa Tooro andBambouk, covering much of what is now Senegal and part of present-day West Africa. The empire was a voluntary confederacy of various states rather than being built on military conquest.[31][32] The empire was founded by Ndiadiane Ndiaye, a partSerer[33][34] and part Toucouleur, who was able to form a coalition with many ethnicities, but collapsed around 1549 with the defeat and killing of Lele Fouli Fak by Amari Ngone Sobel Fall.
ThePortuguese Empire was the first European power to colonize Senegal, beginning with the arrival ofDinis Dias in 1444 atGorée Island and ending in 1888, when the Portuguese gaveZiguinchor to the French.
In the mid-15th century, the Portuguese landed on the Senegal coastline, followed by traders representing other countries, including the French.[35] Various European powers—Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain—competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward.
In 1677, France gained control of what had become a minor departure point in theAtlantic slave trade: the island ofGorée next to modern Dakar, used as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland.[36][37]
European missionaries introduced Christianity to Senegal and theCasamance in the 19th century. It was only in the 1850s that the French began to expand onto the Senegalese mainland, after they abolished slavery and began promoting anabolitionist doctrine,[38] adding native kingdoms like the Waalo, Cayor, Baol, and Jolof. French colonists under GovernorLouis Faidherbe progressively invaded and took over all the kingdoms, except the Serer Kingdoms ofSine andSaloum.[31][39]
French and local slave traders inGorée, 18th century
Yoro Dyao was in command of the canton of Foss-Galodjina and was set over Wâlo (Ouâlo) by Louis Faidherbe,[40] where he served as a chief from 1861 to 1914.[41] Senegalese resistance to the French expansion was led in part byLat-Dior,Damel of Cayor, andMaad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof (theMaad a Sinig, King of Sine), resulting in the famousBattle of Logandème―the battle in which the Serer King ofSine went to war against the mightyFrench colonial empire, where the French decided to take revenge against Sine following their humiliating defeat atthe Battle of Djilor. The Battle of Logandème was the first battle on Senegambian soil where the French decided to employ cannonball.[42][43][44][45]
In 1915, over 300 Senegalese came under Australian command, ahead of thetaking of Damascus by Australians, before the expected arrival of the famedLawrence of Arabia. French and British diplomacy in the area were thrown into disarray.[citation needed]
TheBattle of Dakar (23–25 September 1940) was an unsuccessful attempt by theAllies to capture the strategic port and overthrow the pro-GermanVichy French administration in the colony.[46]
On 25 November 1958, Senegal became an autonomous republic within theFrench Community.[47]
In January 1959, Senegal and theFrench Sudan merged to form theMali Federation, which became fully independent on 20 June 1960, as a result of a transfer of power agreement signed with France on 4 April 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on 20 August 1960 when Senegal and French Sudan (renamed the Republic ofMali) each proclaimed independence.
Léopold Sédar Senghor was elected Senegal's first president in August 1960. Pro-African, Senghor advocated a brand of African socialism.[48]
After the breakup of the Mali Federation, Senghor and Prime MinisterMamadou Dia governed together under a parliamentary system. In December 1962, their political rivalry led to anattempted coup by Dia. The coup was put down without bloodshed and Dia was arrested and imprisoned. Senegal adopted a new constitution that consolidated the President's power.
People in Dakar in 1962
Senghor was considerably more tolerant of opposition than most African leaders became in the 1960s. Nonetheless, political activity was somewhat restricted for a time. Senghor's party, the Senegalese Progressive Union (now theSocialist Party of Senegal), was the only legally permitted party from 1965 until 1975. In the latter year, Senghor allowed the formation of two opposition parties that began operation in 1976—a Marxist party (theAfrican Independence Party) and a liberal party (theSenegalese Democratic Party).
The 1960s and early 1970s saw the continued and persistent violating of Senegal's borders by the Portuguese military fromPortuguese Guinea. In response, Senegal petitioned theUnited Nations Security Council in1963,1965, 1969 (in response to shelling by Portuguese artillery),1971 and1972.
In 1980, Senghor decided to retire from politics. The next year, he transferred power in 1981 to his hand-picked successor,Abdou Diouf. Former prime ministerMamadou Dia, who was Senghor's rival, ran for election in 1983 against Diouf, but lost.
In the 1980s,Boubacar Lam discovered Senegalese oral history that was initially compiled by theTuculor noble,Yoro Dyâo, not long afterWorld War I, which documented migrations into West Africa from theNile Valley; ethnic groups, from theSenegal River to theNiger Delta, retained traditions of having an eastern origin.[49]
Senegal joined withThe Gambia to form the nominalSenegambia Confederation on 1 February 1982. However, the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group (Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance or MFDC) in theCasamance region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982 in theCasamance conflict. In the early 21st century, violence has subsided and PresidentMacky Sall held talks with rebels in Rome in December 2012.[50]
Abdou Diouf was president between 1981 and 2000. He encouraged broader political participation, reduced government involvement in the economy, and widened Senegal's diplomatic engagements, particularly with other developing nations. Domestic politics on occasion spilled over into street violence, border tensions, and a violent separatist movement in the southern region of the Casamance. Nevertheless, Senegal's commitment to democracy and human rights strengthened. Abdou Diouf served four terms as president.
In the presidential election of 1999, opposition leaderAbdoulaye Wade defeated Diouf in an election deemed free and fair by international observers. Senegal experienced its secondpeaceful transition of power, and its first from one political party to another. On 30 December 2004 President Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with the separatist group in the Casamance region. TheCasamance conflict, however, has not yet been fully concluded as of 2025 despite several cease fires and treaties between the government and individual factions within theMFDC.[51][52][53]
In March 2012, the incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade lost thepresidential election andMacky Sall was elected as the new President of Senegal.[54] President Macky Sall was re-elected in2019 elections. The presidential term was reduced from seven years to five.[55]
Senegalese PresidentMacky Sall with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, 3 June 2022
Since 3 March 2021, Senegal has been rocked by a series ofmass protests in response to the arrest ofOusmane Sonko for alleged rape and mishandling of theCOVID-19 pandemic. In June 2023, the response to the protests turned increasingly violent, with Amnesty International counting 23 fatalities, most of which were caused by bullets fired by police or armed police collaborators.[56]
In March 2024, Opposition candidateBassirou Diomaye Faye won the Senegal's presidentialelection over candidate of the ruling coalition, becoming the youngest president in Senegal's history.[57] In November 2024 Faye announced that France will withdraw its troops from Senegal and close its bases by the end of 2025.[58][59]
On 1 July 2025, France handed over the Rufisque joint station to Senegal. This station, active since 1960, was responsible for communications on the southern Atlantic coast. It also served as a listening station in the fight against maritime trafficking. The handover was carried out without ceremony, limited to the signing of a report. The handover of the last remaining military infrastructure in Senegal to the Senegalese authorities is planned. On 18 July 2025, the two military sites will be returned to the Senegalese government: the airport base and Camp Geille, a 5-hectare site located in Ouakam. Four villas located in Plateau, near the port, will also be transferred to the Senegalese authorities.[60]
Senegal is a republic with a presidency; the president iselected every five years as of 2016, previously being seven years from independence to 2001, five years from 2001 to 2008, and seven years again from 2008 to 2016, by adult voters. The first president,Léopold Sédar Senghor, was a poet and writer, and was the first African elected to theAcadémie française. Senegal's second president,Abdou Diouf, later served as general secretary of theOrganisation de la Francophonie. The third president wasAbdoulaye Wade, a lawyer. The fourth president wasMacky Sall, elected in March 2012 and reelected in February2019.[61] On 25 March 2024,Bassirou Diomaye Faye became the fifth democratically elected president.[62]
Senegal has more than 80 political parties. Theunicameral parliament consists of theNational Assembly, which has 150 seats (aSenate was in place from 1999 to 2001 and 2007 to 2012).[7] An independent judiciary also exists in Senegal. The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council and the court of justice, members of which are named by the president.
Currently, Senegal has a quasi-democratic political culture, one of the more successful post-colonial democratic transitions in Africa. Local administrators are appointed and held accountable by the president.Marabouts, religious leaders of the variousMuslim brotherhoods of Senegal, have also exercised a strong political influence in the country especially during Wade's presidency. In 2009,Freedom House downgraded Senegal's status from "Free" to "Partially Free", based on increased centralisation of power in the executive. By 2014, it had recovered its Free status.[63]
In 2008, Senegal finished in 12th position on theIbrahim Index of African Governance,[64] which reflects the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to their citizens. When the Northern African countries were added to the index in 2009, Senegal's 2008 position was retroactively downgraded to 15th place (with Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco placing ahead of Senegal). As of 2012[update], Senegal's Ibrahim Index rank has declined to 16th of 52 African countries.
On 22 February 2011, Senegal severed diplomatic ties withIran, saying it supplied rebels with weapons which killed Senegalese troops in theCasamance conflict.[65]
The2012 presidential election was controversial due to President Wade's candidacy, as the opposition argued he should not be considered eligible to run again. Several youth opposition movements, including M23 andY'en a Marre, emerged in June 2011. In the end, Macky Sall of theAlliance for the Republic won, and Wade conceded the election to Sall. This peaceful and democratic transition was hailed by many foreign observers, such as the EU[66] as a show of "maturity".
On 19 September 2012, lawmakers voted to do away with the Senate to save an estimated $15 million.[67]
In August 2017, the ruling party won a landslide victory in theparliamentary election. President Macky Sall's ruling coalition took 125 seats in the 165-seat National Assembly.[68] In 2019 president Macky Sall easily wonre-election in the first round.[69] On 2 April 2024, his successor Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in.[70]
Senegal is subdivided into 14 regions,[75] each administered by aConseil Régional (Regional Council) elected by population weight at theArrondissement level. The country is further subdivided by 45Départements, 113Arrondissements (neither of which have administrative function) and byCollectivités Locales, which elect administrative officers.[76]
Regional capitals have the same name as their respective regions:
Historically, Senegal has been close to France, its former colonizer, but this had caused a great amount of tension with the people and was one of the reasons why former President Macky Sall lost support. Senegalese often complained that Sall was consistently giving French companies priority contracts to extract Senegal's natural resources rather than giving the contracts to whoever offered Senegal the best deal. They also believed France was pushing Macky Sall to run for an unconstitutional third term. After debating whether to run a third time for months, Sall did not.[78]
Senegal enjoys mostly cordial relations with its neighbors. In spite of clear progress on other issues withMauritania (border security, resource management, economic integration, etc.), an estimated 35,000 Mauritanian refugees (of the estimated 40,000 who were expelled from their home country in 1989) remain in Senegal.[79]Morocco–Senegal relations have also been courteous andBassirou Diomaye Faye invited the king of Morocco on his inauguration ceremony in 2024.
Senegal is the 84th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024Global Peace Index.[80]
Land mines were widely used in theCasamance conflict between separatist rebels and the central government.
TheArmed Forces of Senegal consist of about 17,000 personnel in the army,air force, navy, and gendarmerie. The Senegalese military receives most of its training, equipment, and support from France and the United States, and to a lesser extent Germany.[citation needed]
Military non interference in political affairs has contributed to Senegal's stability since independence. Senegal has participated in many international and regional peacekeeping missions. Most recently, in 2000, Senegal sent a battalion to theDemocratic Republic of Congo to participate inMONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, and agreed to deploy a US-trained battalion toSierra Leone forUNAMSIL, another UN peacekeeping mission.
To fight corruption, the government has created the National Anti-Corruption Office (OFNAC) and the Commission of Restitution and Recovery of Illegally Acquired Assets. According to Business Anti-Corruption Portal, President Sall created the OFNAC to replace the Commission Nationale de Lutte Contre la non-Transparence, la Corruption et la Concussion (CNLCC). It is said that the OFNAC represents a more effective tool for fighting corruption than the CNLCC established under former President Wade.[83] The mission of OFNAC is to fight corruption, embezzlement of public funds and fraud. OFNAC has the power of self-referral (own initiative investigation). OFNAC is composed of twelve members appointed by decree.
Homosexuality is illegal in Senegal.[84] According to 2013 survey by thePew Research Center, 96% of Senegalese believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.[85] LGBTQ community members in Senegal report a strong feeling of being unsafe.[86]
Senegal map of Köppen climate classificationLandscape ofCasamance
Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. It lies between latitudes12° and17°N, and longitudes11° and18°W.
Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west,Mauritania to the north,Mali to the east, andGuinea andGuinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surroundsThe Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, except for Gambia's short Atlantic coastline.
The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the westernSahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal's highest point, Baunez ridge situated 2.7 km southeast ofNepen Diakha at 648 m (2,126 ft).[87] The northern border is formed by theSenegal River; other rivers include theGambia andCasamance Rivers. The capital Dakar lies on theCap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.
TheCape Verde islands lie some 560 kilometres (350 mi) off the Senegalese coast, but Cap-Vert ("Cape Green") is a maritime placemark, set at the foot of "Les Mammelles", a 105-metre (344 ft) cliff resting at one end of the Cap-Vert peninsula onto which is settled Senegal's capital Dakar, and 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south of the "Pointe des Almadies", the westernmost point in Africa.
Senegal has atropical climate with pleasant heat throughout the year with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. The dry season (December to April) is dominated by hot, dry,harmattan wind.[7]Dakar's annual rainfall of about 600 mm (24 in) occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 30 °C (86.0 °F) and minimums 24.2 °C (75.6 °F); December to February maximum temperatures average 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) and minimums 18 °C (64.4 °F).[89]
Interior temperatures are higher than along the coast (for example, average daily temperatures in Kaolack and Tambacounda for May are 30 °C (86.0 °F) and 32.7 °C (90.9 °F) respectively, compared to Dakar's 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) ),[90] and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1,500 mm (59.1 in) annually in some areas.
In Tambacounda in the far interior, particularly on the border of Mali where desert begins, temperatures can reach as high as 54 °C (129.2 °F). The northernmost part of the country is theLompoul desert that has a nearhot desert climate, the central part has ahot semi-arid climate and the southernmost part has atropical wet and dry climate. Senegal is mainly a sunny and dry country.
Economic impact of 2°C in Senegal
Climate change in Senegal will have wide reaching impacts on many aspects of life in Senegal.Climate change will cause an increase in average temperatures over west Africa by between 1.5 and 4 °C (3 °F and 7 °F) by mid-century, relative to 1986–2005.[91] Projections of rainfall indicate an overall decrease in rainfall and an increase in intense mega-storm events over theSahel.[92][93] The sea level is expected to rise faster inWest Africa than the global average.[94][95] Although Senegal is currently not a major contributor to globalgreenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the countries mostvulnerable to climate change.[96][97]
Dakar, Senegal'splace de l'Indépendance: a center of government, banking and trade. In the background is the commercial port and the tourist area,Gorée island.
Theeconomy of Senegal is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in rural areas. Natural resources include iron, zircon, gold, phosphates, and now oil and gas. In the past Senegal's economy gained most of its foreign exchange fromfish,phosphates,groundnuts,tourism. One of the historically dominant parts of the economy,agricultural, is highly vulnerable to environmental conditions such as variations in rainfall and climate, and fluctuations in worldcommodity prices. It is a member of theWorld Trade Organization.
The Capital of Senegal,Dakar, was the former capital of all ofFrench West Africa. As a result, it remains the home to major banks and other institutions which serve all of Francophonic West Africa, and is the hub for shipping and transport into and out of the entire region.
Senegal has one of the most developed tourist industries in Africa.
The main obstacles to the economic development of the country are its greatcorruption with inefficient justice, very slow administrative formalities, and a failing education sector.[99]
Historical development of real GDP per capita in Senegal and Gambia, since 1950
Senegal achieved full Internet connectivity in 1996, creating a mini-boom in information technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82 percent of its GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic high unemployment.[102]
Agriculture is one of the dominant parts of Senegal's economy, even though Senegal lies within the drought-proneSahel region. As only a tiny percentage of the land isirrigated,[104]Senegal continues to rely on rain-fed agriculture. Agriculture occupies about 75% of the workforce. Despite a relatively wide variety of agricultural production, most farmers produce forsubsistence needs.Millet,rice,corn, andsorghum are the primary food crops grown in Senegal. Production is subject to drought and threats ofpests such aslocusts, birds,fruit flies, andwhite flies.[105] Moreover, theeffects of climate change in Senegal are expected to severely harm the agricultural economy due toextreme weather such as drought, as well as increased temperatures.[106]
Senegal is a net food importer, particularly for rice, which represents almost 75% of cereal imports.Peanuts,sugarcane, andcotton are importantcash crops, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are grown for local and export markets. In 2006gum arabic exports soared to $280 million, making it by far the leading agricultural export.Green beans, industrialtomato,cherry tomato,melon, andmango are Senegal's main vegetable cash crops. TheCasamance region, isolated from the rest of Senegal byGambia, is an important agriculture producing area, but without the infrastructure ortransportation links to improve its capacity.[105]
Despite the lack of modernization ofartisanal fishing, the fishing sector remains Senegal's main economic resource and major foreign exchange earner. The livestock and poultry sectors are relatively underdeveloped and have potential for modernization, development and growth. Senegal imports most of its milk and dairy products. The sector is inhibited due to low output and limited investments. The potential production of fauna and forest products is high and diversified and could, if well organized, benefit poor farmers in rural areas. Although the agricultural sector was impacted by a locust invasion in 2004, it has recovered and gross agricultural production is expected to increase by 6.1% in 2006 and 5.1% in 2007.[105]
Senegal has a 12-nautical-mile (22 km; 14 mi) exclusive fishing zone that has been regularly breached in recent years (as of 2014[update]). It has been estimated that the country's fishermen lose 300,000 tonnes of fish each year toillegal fishing. The Senegalese government have tried to control the illegal fishing which is conducted byfishing trawlers, some of which are registered in Russia,Mauritania,Belize and Ukraine. In January 2014, a Russian trawler,Oleg Naydenov, was seized by Senegalese authorities close to the maritime border withGuinea-Bissau.[107]
As of April 2020[update], theenergy sector in Senegal has an installed capacity of 1431 megawatts (MW).[108] Energy is produced by private operators and sold to theSenelec energy corporation. According to a 2020 report by the International Energy Agency, Senegal had nearly 70% of the country connected to the national grid.[109] Current government strategies for electrification include investments in off-grid solar and connection to the grid.[108][109]
Most of the energy production is fromfossil fuels, mostlydiesel and gas (733 of 864 MW).[108] An increasing amount of the energy production comes fromsustainable sources, such asManantali Dam inMali and a new wind farm inThiès opened in 2020—however, it is still a small portion of the total production. Despite increases in production in the 2010s, the economy is frequently hindered by energy shortages compared to demand.
Senegal's population from 1960 to 2017 (in millions)
Senegal has a population of around 18 million, about 42 percent of whom live in rural areas. Density in these areas varies from about 77 inhabitants per square kilometre (200/sq mi) in the west-central region to 2 per square kilometre (5.2/sq mi) in the arid eastern section.
Senegal ratified theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the additional protocol. Senegal is also a signatory of the African Charter of Human and People's Rights, which was adopted during the 2003 African Union Summit. However, feminists have been critical of the government's lack of action in enforcing the protocols, conventions and other texts that have been signed as a means of protecting women's rights, and have stated that everyday practices and customs typically maintain apatriarchal character.[110][111] Similary,Afrobarometer found that Senegalese women often remain in a disadvantaged position.[112]
There are also tens of thousands of Mauritanian refugees in Senegal, primarily in the country's north.[114]
According to theWorld Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Senegal has a population ofrefugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 23,800 in 2007. The majority of this population (20,200) is from Mauritania. Refugees live in N'dioum, Dodel, and small settlements along theSenegal River valley.[115]
French is theofficial language, spoken by all those who have spent several years in the educational system, in which French is used as the medium of instruction (Koranic schools are also popular, but Arabic is less widely spoken outside of the context of recitation). Overall, speakers of French were estimated to make up 26% of the population in 2022.[116] During the 15th century, many European territories started to engage in trade in Senegal. In the 19th century, France increased its colonial influence in Senegal and thus the number of French-speaking people multiplied continuously. French was ratified as the official language of Senegal in 1960 when the country achieved independence.
English is taught as aforeign language in secondary schools and many graduate school programs, and it is the only subject matter that has a special office in the Ministry of Education.[118] Dakar is home to a few bilingual schools which offer half of their curriculum in English. The Senegalese American Bilingual School (SABS), Yavuz Selim, and The West African College of the Atlantic (WACA) train thousands of fluent English speakers in four-year programs. English is widely used by the scientific community and in business, including by theModou-Modou (illiterate, self-taught businessmen).[118]
Portuguese Creole, locally known as Portuguese, is a prominent minority language inZiguinchor, regional capital of the Casamance, spoken by local Portuguese creoles and immigrants from Guinea-Bissau. The local Cape Verdean community speak a similar Portuguese creole,Cape Verdean Creole, and standard Portuguese. Portuguese was introduced in Senegal's secondary education in 1961 in Dakar by the country's first president,Léopold Sédar Senghor. It is currently available in most of Senegal and in higher education. It is especially prevalent in Casamance as it relates with the local cultural identity.[119]
Aerial view of Yoff Commune, Dakar
A variety of immigrant languages are spoken, such asBambara (70,000),Mooré (37,000),Kabuverdiano (34,000),Krio (6,100), Vietnamese (2,500), and Portuguese (1,700), mostly in Dakar.[118]
While French is the sole official language, a rising Senegalese linguistic nationalist movement supports the integration of Wolof, the common vernacular language of the country, into the national constitution.[120]
Senegalese regions of Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies and Ziguinchor are members of the International Association of Francophone regions.
Dakar, the capital, is by far the largest city in Senegal, with over two million residents.[121] The second most populous city isTouba, ade jure communaute rurale (rural community), with over half a million people.[121]
Senegal is a secular state.[82] According to "CIA World Factbook: Senegal"Islam is the predominant religion in the country, practiced by 97.2% of the country's population; the Christian community, at 2.7% of the population, consists mostly ofRoman Catholics but there are also diverseEvangelical denominations. Less than one percent hasanimist beliefs, particularly in the southeastern region of the country.[7] SomeSerer people follow theSerer religion.[124][125] According to the Berkley Center, "approximately 95 percent of the population is Muslim and the other five percent is primarily Christian or animist."[126] Marloes Janson, of SOAS, University of London, and other scholars, posit that, in Senegal,Gambia, and many African countries where Islam is dominant, Muslim communities tend tosyncretise Islam withTraditional African religions, leading to a distinctive "African Islam".[127]
According to a 2012 Pew demographic study, 55% of the Muslims in Senegal areSunni of theMalikimadhhab withSufi influences, whilst 27% arenon-denominational Muslims.[128] Islamic communities in Senegal are generally organized around one of several Islamic Sufi orders calledtariqas, headed by akhalif (xaliifa inWolof, from Arabickhalīfa), who is usually a direct descendant of the group's founder; the study found that 92% of Senegalese Muslims belonged to a Sufi order. The two largest and most prominent Sufi tariqas in Senegal are theTijaniyya, whose largest Senegalese sub-groups are based in the cities ofTivaouane andKaolack and has broad following in West Africa outside of Senegal, and theMurīdiyya (Murid), who are based in the city ofTouba and has a follower base mostly limited to within Senegal.[128]
TheHalpulaar (Pulaar-speakers), composed ofFula people, a widespread group found along the Sahel from Chad to Senegal, andToucouleurs, represent 23.8 percent of the population.[7] Historically, they were the first to become Muslim. Many of theToucouleurs, or sedentary Halpulaar of the Senegal River Valley in the north, converted to Islam around a millennium ago and later contributed to Islam's propagation throughout Senegal.Most communities south of the Senegal River Valley, however, were not thoroughlyIslamized. The Serer people stood out as one of this group, who spent over one thousand years resisting Islamization (seeSerer history). Although many Serers are Christians or Muslim, their conversion to Islam in particular is very recent and came of free will rather than by force, after forced conversion had been unsuccessfully tried centuries earlier (seeBattle of Fandane-Thiouthioune).[129]
As a country with more than 90% Muslims, holidays such as Tabaski, Koriteh, Gamou, Weri Kor are highly regarded.
The spread of formal Quranic school (calleddaara in Wolof) during the colonial period increased largely through the effort of the Tidjâniyya. In Murid communities, which place more emphasis on the work ethic than on literary Quranic studies, the termdaara often applies to work groups devoted to working for a religious leader. Today, most Senegalese children study atdaaras for several years, memorizing as much of the Qur'an as they can. Some of them continue their religious studies at councils (majlis) or at the growing number of private Arabic schools and publicly funded Franco-Arabic schools.
Small Catholic communities are mainly found in coastal Serer,Jola,Mankanya and Balant populations, and in eastern Senegal among the Bassari and Coniagui. The Protestant churches are mainly attended by immigrants but during the second half of the 20th century Protestant churches led by Senegalese leaders from different ethnic groups have evolved. In Dakar Catholic and Protestant rites are practiced by the Lebanese, Cape Verdean, European, and American immigrant populations, and among certain Africans of other countries as well as by the Senegalese themselves.
Serer religion encompasses a belief in a supreme deity calledRoog (Koox among theCangin),Serer cosmogony,cosmology anddivination ceremonies such as the annualXooy (orKhoy) ceremony presided over by the SererSaltigues (high priests and priestesses). They were ancient Serer festivals rooted in Serer religion, not Islam.[130]
TheBoukout is one of the Jola's religious ceremonies.
Life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 66.8 years in 2016 (64.7 years male, 68.7 years female).[136] Public expenditure on health was at 2.4 percent of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure was at 3.5 percent.[137] Health expenditure was at US$72 (PPP) per capita in 2004.[137] The fertility rate ranged 5 to 5.3 between 2005 and 2013, with 4.1 in urban areas and 6.3 in rural areas, as official survey (6.4 in 1986 and 5.7 in 1997) point out.[138] There were six physicians per 100,000 persons in the early 2000s (decade).[137]Infant mortality in Senegal was 157 per 1,000 live births in 1950., but since then it has declined five-fold to 32 per 1,000 in 2018.[139] In the past five years infant mortality rates of malaria have dropped. According to a 2013 UNICEF report,[140] 26% of women in Senegal have undergonefemale genital mutilation.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began in Senegal, which led to the imposition of a curfew in the country.[141]Malaria isendemic throughout Senegal, and the entire population is at risk.[142]
In July 2021, Senegal experienced a significant increase in cases of coronavirus disease.[143]
In June 2021, Senegal's Agency for Universal Health launched sunucmu.com (SunuCMU), a website that the agency hopes will streamline health care in the country. The website is a part of the Minister of State Mohammad Abdallah Dionne's plan for digitalization. He aims to make Senegal's health care system effective and sustainable. Using SunuCMU, Senegal hopes to achieve 75 percent coverage within two years of the launch.[144]
Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution adopted in January 2001 guarantee access to education for all children.[145] Education is compulsory and free up to the age of 16.[145] The Ministry of Labor has indicated that the public school system is unable to cope with the number of children that must enroll each year.[145] Portuguese is taught at schools at the secondary high school level, given the large Cape Verdean community, and also from Guinea Bissau. There are sizeable Portuguese creole and standard Portuguese speaking communities in Zinguichor and Dakar.
Illiteracy is high, particularly among women.[137] The net primary enrollment rate was 69 percent in 2005. In the fiscal year 2025, 3.5 percent of the budget was allocated for the Ministry of Education.[146] Public expenditure on education was 5.4 percent of the 2002–2005 GDP. Senegal was ranked 92nd in theGlobal Innovation Index in 2024.[147]
Senegal is well known for the West African tradition of storytelling, which is done bygriots, who have kept West African history alive for thousands of years through words and music. Thegriot profession is passed down generation to generation and requires years of training and apprenticeship in genealogy, history and music.Griots give voice to generations of West African society.[35]
The Islamic festival ofEid al-Adha, known locally as Tabaski, is popularly celebrated by Senegalese people. Despite being predominantly Muslim, the Christian festival of Christmas is also popularly observed, with Christmas trees and decorations lining up the city of Dakar.[23]
Because Senegal borders the Atlantic Ocean,fish is very important.Chicken,lamb,peas,eggs, and beef are also used in Senegalese cooking, but not pork, due to the nation's largelyMuslim population.Peanuts, the primary crop of Senegal, as well ascouscous,white rice,sweet potatoes,lentils,black-eyed peas and various vegetables, are also incorporated into many recipes. Meats and vegetables are typically stewed or marinated in herbs and spices, and then poured over rice or couscous, or eaten with bread.
Popular fresh juices are made frombissap,ginger,buoy (pronounced 'buoy', which is the fruit of thebaobab tree, also known as "monkey bread fruit"),mango, or other fruit or wild trees (most famouslysoursop, which is calledcorossol in French). Desserts are very rich and sweet, combining native ingredients with the extravagance and style characteristic of the French impact on Senegal's culinary methods.[citation needed] They are often served with fresh fruit and are traditionally followed by coffee or tea.
Hospitality, in theory, is given such importance in Senegalese culture that it is widely considered to be part of the national identity. The Wolof[149] word for hospitality is "teranga" and it is so identified with the pride of Senegal that the national football team is known asLes Lions de la Téranga.[35][original research?]
Senegalese wrestling is the country's most popular sport[152] and has become a national obsession.[153] It traditionally serves many young men to escape poverty and it is the only sport recognized as developed independently of Western culture.
Football is a popular sport in Senegal. In2022 the national team beatEgypt to win theAfrica Cup of Nations for the first time, and they were runners-up in2002 and2019. They became one of only five African teams to ever reach the quarter-finals of theFIFA World Cup, afterCameroon in 1990 and beforeGhana in 2010, defeating holdersFrance in their first game in 2002. Senegal qualified for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Senegal has traditionally been one of Africa's dominant basketball powers. Themen's team performed better than that of any other African nation at the2014 FIBA World Cup, where they reached the playoffs for the first time. Thewomen's team won 19 medals at 20African Championships, more than twice as many medals as any competitor. When the country hosted the2019 FIBA Women's AfroBasket, 15,000 fans flocked to theDakar Arena which is registered as a record attendance for basketball in Africa.[154] Senegal was one of the continent's pioneers in basketball as it established one of Africa's first competitive leagues.[155]
In 2016, theNBA announced the launch of an Elite's Academy in Africa, and more precisely in Senegal.[156]
The country hosted theParis–Dakar rally from1979 until2007. The Dakar Rally was an off-road endurance motorsport race which followed a course from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. The competitors used off-road vehicles to cross the difficult geography. The last race was held in 2007, before the 2008 rally was canceled a day before the event due to security concerns inMauritania.[157] The 2021Ocean X-Prix of the electric off-road championshipExtreme E was also hosted in Senegal.[158]
^Article 1 of the 2001 Constitution of Senegal, which states that the national languages are Diola, Malinké, Pular, Sérère, Soninké and Wolof.[3]
^Information from the University of Pennsylvania's Center for African Studies estimates that about 90% of the Senegalese population understands or speaks Wolof as a first or second language.[4]
^Arabic is taught as a second language for religious reasons within the Senegalese educational system.[5]
^abcd"Senegal".The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 23 August 2022.Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved23 January 2024.
^"Overview". World Bank.Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved30 November 2022.
^V-Dem Institute (2023)."The V-Dem Dataset".Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved14 October 2023.
^Jacques Leclerc (4 October 2010)."Sénégal".Trésor de la langue française au Québec. Archived fromthe original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved17 March 2012.
^abCharles, Eunice A. Precolonial Senegal: the Jolof Kingdom, 1800–1890. African Studies Center, Boston University, 1977. p. 3
^Ham, Anthony.West Africa. Lonely Planet. 2009. p. 670.ISBN1-74104-821-4
^Research in African literatures, Volume 37. University of Texas at Austin, p. 8. African and Afro-American Studies and Research Center, University of Texas (at Austin) (2006)
^Diop, Cheikh Anta & Modum, Egbuna P.Towards the African renaissance: essays in African culture & development, 1946–1960, p. 28. Karnak House (1996).ISBN0-907015-85-9
^abcEric S. Ross, Culture and Customs of Senegal, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2008ISBN0-313-34036-6
^1851–1865(PDF). University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries. p. 167.Archived(PDF) from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved12 November 2018.
^Diouf, Niokhobaye, "Chronique du royaume du Sine", Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. (1972). Bulletin de l'Ifan, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, (1972), p 725 (p 16)
^Diouf, Cheikh, "Fiscalité et Domination Coloniale: l'exemple du Sine: 1859-1940",Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (2005)
^Le Quotidien (Senegal), "La communauté sérère face à la Commission nationale chargée de la rédaction de l’histoire du Sénégal." (18 September 2019), by Mahawa Sémou Diouf
^Smith, Colin (2010).England's Last War Against France: Fighting Vichy 1940-1942. London: Phoenix.
^Cabeen, David Clark; Brooks, Richard A.; Alden, Douglas W., eds. (1 January 1980).A Critical bibliography of French literature: in three parts. The Twentieth. Syracuse University Press.
^Niang, I; Ruppel, O.C; Abdrabo, M.A; Essel, A; Lennard, C; Padgham, J; Urquhart, P (2014).Africa. Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1199–1265.
^The Economist, The African Century, March 28th 2020.
^"CEPII – Baci".cepii.fr. HS92. Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales.Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved31 August 2022.
^'Russia says factory ship was seized on Greenpeace's orders; Trawler held by Senegal over alleged illegal fishing' by John Vidal The Guardian (UK newspaper) 10 January 2014 page 23
^"Senegal".City Population.Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved9 December 2021.
^"Senegal".Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved29 January 2024.
^Conklin, Alice L.A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire in France and West Africa, 1895–1930. Stanford University Press, 1997.ISBN0-8047-2999-9. p. 27.
^Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009.Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International
^Berkley Center, "Country Mapping: Senegal."[3]Archived 31 December 2023 at theWayback Machine (retrieved 15 April 2024)
^Johnson, Marloes, "Chapter 36: Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa." SOAS, University of London (2017), pp. 15-17 (PDF)
^Diouf, Niokhobaye, « Chronique du royaume du Sine, suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant leroyaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin (1972)», . (1972). Bulletin de l'IFAN, tome 34, série B, no 4, 1972, pp. 706–7 (pp. 4–5), pp. 713–14 (pp. 9–10)
^Hassall, Graham (c. 2000)."Egypt: Baha'i history".Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies: Bahá'í Communities by country. Bahá'í Online Library.Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved24 May 2009.
^"Most Baha'i Nations (2005)".QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Archived fromthe original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved4 July 2009.
^The wordtaranga (hospitality),jom (honour), etc., are allSerer from theSerer language, rooted in Serer values andserer religion, not Wolof. See:(in French)Gravrand, Henry, "L'HERITAGE SPIRITUEL SEREER: VALEUR TRADITIONNELLE D'HIER, D'AUJOURD'HUI ET DE DEMAIN" [in] Ethiopiques, numéro 31, révue socialiste de culture négro-africaine, 3e trimestre 1982[4]Archived 1 September 2011 at theWayback Machine
Foley, Ellen E,Your Pocket is What Cures You: The Politics of Health in Senegal, (Rutgers University Press, 2010)
Gellar, Sheldon,Democracy in Senegal: Tocquevillian Analytics in Africa, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005)
Glover, John,Sufism and Jihad in Modern Senegal: The Murid Order, (University of Rochester Press, 2007)
Kane, Katharina,Lonely Planet Guide: The Gambia and Senegal, (Lonely Planet Publications, 2009)
Kueniza, Michelle,Education and Democracy in Senegal, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011)
Mbacké, Khadim,Sufism and Religious Brotherhoods in Senegal, (Markus Wiener Publishing Inc., 2005)
Streissguth, Thomas,Senegal in Pictures, (Twentyfirst Century Books, 2009)
Various,Insight Guide: Gambia and Senegal, (APA Publications Pte Ltd., 2009)
Various,New Perspectives on Islam in Senegal: Conversion, Migration, Wealth, Power, and Femininity, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)
Various,Senegal: Essays in Statecraft, (Codesria, 2003)
Various,Street Children in Senegal, (GYAN France, 2006)
Folktale collections
Terrisse, André (1964).Contes et légendes du Sénégal (in French). Fernand Nathan.
Kesteloot, Lilyan; Dieng, Bassirou (2000).Contes et mythes du Sénégal (in French). IFAB/Enda éditions.ISBN9789291300310.
Fongang-Kesteloot, Lilyan (2006).Contes, fables et récits du Sénégal (in French). Karthala.ISBN9782845867441.{{cite book}}:Check|isbn= value: checksum (help)
Reuss-Nliba, Didier; Reuss-Nliba, Jessica (2018).Contes et légendes du Sénégal. Aux origines du monde. Collection dirigée par Galina Kabakova (in French). Paris: Flies France.ISBN9782350746838.
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