World Country Guide

General Information

Area
196,722 sq km (75,955 sq miles).

Population
11,000,000 (estimate 2004).

Population Density
50.1 per sq km.

Capital
Dakar. Population: 2,079,000 (UN projection 2000).

Geography
Senegal is bordered by Guinea Republic and Guinea-Bissau to the south, Mali to the east and Mauritania to the north, and encloses the confederated state of The Gambia. To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most land is less than 100m (330ft) above sea level, except for the Fouta Djallon foothills in the southeast and the Bambouk Mountains on the Mali border. On the coast between Dakar and St Louis is a strip of shifting dunes. South of Dakar there are shallow estuaries along the coastline, which is fringed by palm trees. In the northern part of the country, south of the Senegal Basin, lies the arid Fouta Ferlo, a hot dry Sahelian plain with little vegetation.

Government
Republic since 1963. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President Abdoulaye Wade since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Macky Sall since 2004.

Language
The official language is French. There are many local languages, the principal one being Wolof. Other groups include Peul, Serer and Diola.

Religion
Around 94 per cent Muslim, 4 per cent Christian (mostly Roman Catholic with some Protestants), and a minority holds traditional beliefs.

Time
GMT.

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications

Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 221. Outgoing international code: 00. Dial 17 (police) or 18 (fire brigade) or 821 3213 (emergency medical services).

Mobile telephone
GSM 900. Main network providers are Sentel (website: www.millicom.com) and Sonatel (website: www.sonatel.sn or www.alize.sn).

Fax
Towns have ‘telecentres’ from which faxes can be sent. Sonatel (responsible for all telecommunications) has fax facilities. Some hotels also have fax machines.

Internet
ISPs include Telecom Plus. There are Internet cafes in Dakar, Saint Louis and other major towns.

Telegram
There are facilities at main post offices and several hotels.

Post
Airmail to Europe takes between seven and 10 days, and surface mail between two and six weeks.

Press
All newspapers are in French and nearly all are controlled directly by political parties.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.