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Senegal

Senegal is a major recipient of international development assistance. Donors include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Japan, France and China. Over 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Senegal since 1963.

Transportation:

The system of roads in Senegal is extensive by West African standards, with paved roads reaching each corner of the country and all major towns.

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Road Map of Senegal

Dakar is the endpoint of three routes in the Trans-African Highway network. These are as follows:

Cairo-Dakar Highway which crosses the edge of the Sahara
Dakar-Ndjamena Highway which links the countries of the Sahel, also called the Trans-Sahelian Highway
Dakar-Lagos Highway running along the West African coast and called by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) the Trans–West African Coastal Highway (though ECOWAS considers this route to start in Nouakchott, Mauritania).

Senegal’s road network links closely with those of the Gambia, since the shortest route between south-western districts on the one hand and west-central and north-western districts on the other is through the Gambia.

The only operational motorway in Senegal currently runs for 34 km. between Dakar and Diamniadio, and it is a toll motorway. A new part of the motorway, of 16.5 km. is currently under construction, which will reach the Blaise Diagne International Airport. Another section of 50 km. is also under construction, linking the airport to Thiès; and the 115 km. stretch from Thiès to Touba, the final destination of the planned motorway, will start under construction in the near future.

There were an estimated 4,271 km of paved roads and 10,305 km of unpaved roads as of 1996.

Taxis (black-yellow or blue-yellow in color) are cheap, numerous and available everywhere in Dakar. It is customary to negotiate the fare since most meters installed in the taxis are broken or missing. For travel outside Dakar, public transportation is available but often unreliable and uncomfortable.

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Blaise Diagne International Airport

There were an estimated 20 airports in 1999. Blaise Diagne International Airport in Diass became the hub of the sub-region. Dakar is linked to numerous African cities by air, and daily flights go to Europe. Delta Air Lines flies daily to/from Atlanta/Dakar/Johannesburg. South African Airways flies daily to New York and Washington, D.C. from Johannesburg via Dakar. The old Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar is now only exists as a cargo hub.

Flag of Senegal:

The flag of Senegal is a tricolor consisting of three vertical green, yellow and red bands charged with a five-pointed green star at the center. Adopted in 1960 to replace the flag of the Mali Federation, it has been the flag of the Republic of Senegal since the country gained independence that year. The present and previous flags were inspired by French Tricolour, which flew over Senegal until 1960.

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Flag of Senegal

Much symbolism and many connotations are beholden to the stripes and singular star of the Senegalese flag. From a national perspective, green is highly symbolic within all of the country’s primary religions. In Islam, the country’s majority religion at 94% percent of the population, the green of both the first stripe and the star represent the color of the Prophet, Christians see the presence of green as a portent of hope, and Animists view green as representative of fecundity.

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