Senegal Tourism - Travel to Senegal

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Quick Facts
Capital	Dakar
Government	republic under multiparty democratic rule
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Area	total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km
Population	10,589,571 (July 2002 est.)
Language	French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Religion	Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic)

Senegal is a country in Western Africa. It is the westernmost country on the African continent. With a North Atlantic Ocean coastline in the west, Senegal has Guinea-Bissau to the south, Guinea to the southeast, Mali to the east, and Mauritania to the north. The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal in the middle of the western coast.

Regions in Senegal

There are 10 regions:

Dakar
Diourbel
Fatick
Kaolack
Kolda
Louga
Saint-Louis
Tambacounda
Thies
Ziguinchor
note: there may be another region called Matam

Map of Senegal

Cities in Senegal

Dakar: The capital city, where you'll undoubtedly fly into. There will be men, who act like vultures as soon as you step out outside the airport to try to get you into their cab, and some even have the audacity to not only try to rip you off, but to try to rip you off in Euros -- I was quoted 15 euros one time for a far that should have been about $8/4000 CFA. It does have some nice areas though. You do have to be firm and vigilant about what you are bargaining for, particularly with cab drivers. Try to learn some Wolof, or at least French if you can.

There isn't much to see in the way of sites, except for the Ile de Gorée, the former slave trading hub island. You can get tickets down at the port, and it is fairly self-explanatory.

As for shopping, there is the downtown area, near the Sandaga market, which is were you'll find the highest concentration of non-Senegalese in Senegal -- French and Lebanese, mostly. The French run some of the businesses (a very small number), and the Centre Culturel Français, and the Lebanese run all of the textile and schwarma shops. Remember, when buying anything in an open market, bargaining is the name of the game. If you know exactly what you want, shop around, and start low and see if you can get a feel for the price. Take a Senegalese friend (someone whom you actually trust, not someone you just meet on the street) with you if you can. Again, Wolof helps.

Transit: All transit out of Dakar is done by road, and can be found at the gare routière. All the cab drivers know where it is. They'll drive you in, you pay them, and then you find yourself in an enormous parking lot with all kinds of cars (Peugeot 504s, aka "sept-places"), mini-buses, and vans. The easiest way is to find a sept-places is to ask around, but again, be wary -- the Senegalese young men will flock to you, being a toubaab (white person), and will no doubt tell you that they're full, or try to lead you into one place or another where you don't actually want to go. When you find the car that is going to where you need it to go, confirm it with the driver and the passengers, and pay your fare. They will quote you the correct fare, but they may haggle you over bags, even if you're just carrying a small knapsack. 500 CFA or less should always suffice.

There is a gas station about a half block from the gare routière which serves as the terminus for the Al-Azhar bus lines. They have buses running to Saint-Louis in the north and Tambacounda in the east. I'd recommend these if you're going to either of those destinations, as they tend to be cheaper, and usually (but not always), more comfortable.

You can also get a bus, if you ask around downtown for a bus to Kayes, the first major town in Mali to the east. It is roughly an 18-20 hour trip. From there you can get transport by rail to Bamako.

Saint-Louis:

Home of Université Gaston Berger, which lies about 12 kilometers to the west of the town, near the village of Sanaar. Saint-Louis is the former French colonial capital of French West Africa, and has some gorgeous colonial-era architecture. Crossing from the mainland onto the island, across the Pont Faidherbe, you'll find yourself at a post office, and the main plaza of Saint-Louis. Here you will find (to a much lesser extent), Saint-Louis' con men, and others attempting to part tourists with their money. Be confident and walk right on by. As you go straight, take a right, and you will come to a corner boutique run by Mauritanians. One shop beyond that is a great schwarma place, also run by Mauritanians.

Thiès: A nice, small town that has colonial significance. You'll pass through it en route to Saint-Louis. An hour's sept-places ride from Dakar.

Kaolack: A transit hub. Not much to see here, except the large market, which you can get a feel for if you're changing modes of transport.

Ziguinchor: A gorgeous and friendly town in the south. I highly encourage people to visit the Casamance region, despite the State Dept. warnings. It is safe and the people speak French more than they do anywhere else in Senegal. The geography is much different as well -- much more jungle-like than desert/savannah-like. You can get transport from here to Guinea-Bissau. There is also a Bissauan consulate here for visas.

Tambacounda: The largest eastern Senegalese town, which seems more like an outpost than anything else.

Medina Gounaas: A fairly large religious small town in south-central Senegal, near to the Gambian border. I particularly enjoyed the market of Diaobé, which is nearby. You can shop there without being hassled quite easily.

Touba: A religious city, a few hours from Saint-Louis/Dakar. The town is centered around the large mosque, which is gorgeous. It also has a nice market as well.

Other destinations - Travel to Senegal

Ports and harbors: Matam, Podor, Richard Toll

Understand Senegal Tourism

Climate in Senegal

Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind; Natural hazards : lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts.

Terrain

Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

History of Senegal

Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

Constitution: a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001

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Senegal Talk

Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

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The rest of this article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and integrate it into the article above.

Geography in Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W
Area: total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 11.58%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 88.23% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 710 sq km (1998 est.)
Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

People in Senegal

Population: 10,589,571 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,321,789; female 2,290,105)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 2,710,178; female 2,943,554)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 159,445; female 164,500) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.91% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 36.99 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 8.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 55.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.93 years
female: 64.61 years (2002 est.)
male: 61.29 years
Total fertility rate: 5.03 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 95,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 10,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Religions: Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 39.1%
male: 51.1%
female: 28.9% (2001 est.)

Government in Senegal

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
conventional short form: Senegal
local short form: Senegal
local long form: Republique du Senegal
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Legal system: 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Idrissa SECK (since 4 November 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term under new constitution; election last held 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals; note-the judicial system was reformed in 1992
Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition (a coalition led by the PDS) [Abdoulaye WADE]; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou L. BA
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet L. ELAM-THOMAS
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
telephone: [221] 823-4296
FAX: [221] 822-2991

Flag description: 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 in Senegal

Economy - overview: 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 is 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 1995-2001. Annual inflation had been pushed down to less than 1%, but rose to an estimated 3.3% in 2001. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. 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. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems of chronic unemployment, trade union militancy, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,580 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19%
industry: 21%
services: 61% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 43% (1991)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 70%
Unemployment rate: 48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.373 billion
expenditures: $1.373 billion, including capital expenditures of $357 million (2002 est.)
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.32 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
Electricity - consumption: 1.228 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $1 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities: fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports - partners: France 19%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 2% (2000)
Imports: $1.3 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners: France 27%, Nigeria 19%, Germany 4%, US 4%, Italy 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $3.1 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $362.6 million (2002 est.)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 234,916 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 373,965 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios: 1.24 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 361,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002)
Internet users: 100,000 (2002)

Transportation in Senegal

Railways: total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double-tracked) (2001)
Highways: total: 14,576 km
paved: 4,271 km
unpaved: 10,305 km (1996)
Waterways: 897 km
note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river
Airports: 20 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,406,337 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,257,423 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 114,189 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68.6 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues in Senegal

Disputes - international: Senegalese separatists disrupt legal border trade with smuggling, cattle rustling, and other illegal activities in Guinea-Bissau

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

Senegal Tourism - Travel to Senegal

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