![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Senegal-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>It is a unitary presidential republic and is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometers (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 16 million. The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule. Because of this history, the official language is French. Like other post-colonial African states, the country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof<\/a>, Fula<\/a>, and Serer<\/a> people, and the Wolof and French languages acting as lingua francas. Senegal is classified as a heavily indebted poor country, with a relatively low Human Development Index<\/a>. Most of the population is on the coast and works in agriculture or other food industries. Other major industries include mining, tourism and services. The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a rainy season.<\/p>\n Senegal is a member state of the African Union<\/a>, the United Nations<\/a>, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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 around the 7th century: Takrur<\/a> in the 9th century, Namandiru and the Jolof Empire<\/a> during the 13th and 14th centuries. Eastern Senegal was once part of the Ghana Empire.<\/a><\/p>\n Islam was introduced through Toucouleur<\/a> and Soninke<\/a> contact with the Almoravid dynasty<\/a> of the Maghreb<\/a>, who in turn propagated it with the help of the Almoravids and Toucouleur allies. This movement faced resistance from ethnicities of traditional religions, the Serers in particular.<\/p>\n 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 was enslaved, typically as a result of being taken captive in warfare.<\/p>\n In the 14th century the Jolof Empire grew more powerful, having united Cayor<\/a> and the kingdoms of Baol<\/a>, Sin\u00e9<\/a>, Saloum<\/a>, Waalo<\/a>, Futa Tooro<\/a> and Bambouk<\/a>, or much of present-day West Africa. The empire was a voluntary confederacy of various states rather than being built on military conquest. The empire was founded by Ndiadiane Ndiaye, a part Serer 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.<\/p>\n The Portuguese Empire was the first European power to colonize Senegal, beginning with the arrival of Dinis Dias in 1444 at Gor\u00e9e Island<\/a> and ending in 1888, when the Portuguese gave Ziguinchor to the French.<\/p>\n In the mid-15th century, the Portuguese landed on the Senegal coastline, followed by traders representing other countries, including the French. Various European powers \u2014 Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain \u2014 competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward.<\/p>\n In 1677, France gained control of what had become a minor departure point in the Atlantic slave trade: the island of Gor\u00e9e next to modern Dakar, used as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland.<\/p>\n European missionaries introduced Christianity to Senegal and the Casamance 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 an abolitionist doctrine, adding native kingdoms like the Waalo, Cayor, Baol, and Jolof Empire. French colonists progressively invaded and took over all the kingdoms, except Sin\u00e9 and Saloum, under Governor Louis Faidherbe<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yoro Dyao<\/a> was in command of the canton of Foss-Galodjina and was set over W\u00e2lo (Ou\u00e2lo) by Louis Faidherbe, where he served as a chief from 1861 to 1914. Senegalese resistance to the French expansion and curtailing of their lucrative slave trade was led in part by Lat-Dior, Damel of Cayor<\/a>, and Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof<\/a>, the Maad a Sinig of Sin\u00e9, resulting in the Battle of Logand\u00e8me<\/a>. In 1915, over 300 Senegalese came under Australian command, ahead of the taking of Damascus by Australians, before the expected arrival of the famed Lawrence of Arabia. French and British diplomacy in the area were thrown into disarray.<\/p>\n On 25 November 1958, Senegal became an autonomous republic within the French Community.<\/p>\n On 4 April 1959 Senegal and the French Sudan<\/a> merged to form the Mali Federation<\/a>, 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, when Senegal and French Sudan (renamed the Republic of Mali) each proclaimed independence.<\/p>\n L\u00e9opold S\u00e9dar Senghor<\/a> was Senegal’s first president in September 1960. Senghor was a very well-read man, educated in France. He was a poet and philosopher who personally drafted the Senegalese national anthem, “Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons” (English: “Strum all thy koras, strike the balafons”). Pro-African, he advocated a brand of African socialism.<\/p>\n In 1980, President Senghor decided to retire from politics. The next year, he transferred power in 1981 to his hand-picked successor, Abdou Diouf<\/a>. Former prime minister Mamadou Dia<\/a>, who was Senghor’s rival, ran for election in 1983 against Diouf, but lost. Senghor moved to France, where he died at the age of 95.<\/p>\n Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal Senegambia Confederation<\/a> 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<\/a>) in the Casamance<\/a> region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982 in the Casamance conflict<\/a>. In the early 21st century, violence has subsided and President Macky Sall<\/a> held talks with rebels in Rome in December 2012.<\/p>\n Senegal is located on the west of the African continent.<\/p>\n Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean<\/a> to the west, Mauritania<\/a> to the north, Mali<\/a> to the east, and Guinea<\/a> and Guinea-Bissau<\/a> to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds The Gambia<\/a>, namely on the north, east and south, except for Gambia’s short Atlantic coastline.<\/p>\n The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel<\/a> which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal’s highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature 2.7 km southeast of Nepen Diakha<\/a> at 648 m (2,126 ft). The northern border is formed by the Senegal River<\/a>; other rivers include the Gambia<\/a> and Casamance Rivers<\/a>. The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula<\/a>, the westernmost point of continental Africa.<\/p>\n The Cape Verde islands<\/a> lie some 560 kilometers (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 kilometer (0.6 mi) south of the “Pointe des Almadies”, the westernmost point in Africa.<\/p>\n The economy of Senegal is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in rural areas, despite abundant natural resources in iron, zircon, gas, gold, phosphates, and numerous oil discoveries recently. Senegal’s economy gains most of its foreign exchange from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism, and services. As one of the dominant parts of the economy, the agricultural sector of Senegal is highly vulnerable to environmental conditions, such as variations in rainfall and climate change, and changes in world commodity prices.<\/p>\n The former capital of French West Africa<\/a>, is also home to banks and other institutions which serve all of Francophone West Africa, and is a hub for shipping and transport in the region.<\/p>\n Senegal also has one of the best developed tourist industries in Africa. Senegal’s economy depends on foreign assistance. It is a member of the World Trade Organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n The main obstacles to the economic development of the country are among others a great corruption with inefficient justice, very slow administrative formalities, a failing education sector.<\/p>\n The main industries include food processing, mining, cement, artificial fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, refining imported petroleum, and tourism. Exports include fish, chemicals, cotton, fabrics, groundnuts, and calcium phosphate. The principal foreign market is India with 26.7% of exports (as of 1998). Other foreign markets include the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)<\/a>, Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff. Senegal is also a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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, socioeconomic disparity, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction.<\/p>\n Senegal is a major recipient of international development assistance. Donors include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)<\/a>, Japan, France and China. Over 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers<\/a> have served in Senegal since 1963.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Dakar is the endpoint of three routes in the Trans-African Highway network<\/a>. These are as follows:<\/p>\n Cairo-Dakar Highway<\/a> which crosses the edge of the Sahara 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.<\/p>\n The only operational motorway in Senegal currently runs for 34 km. between Dakar<\/a> and Diamniadio<\/a>, 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<\/a>. Another section of 50 km. is also under construction, linking the airport to Thi\u00e8s<\/a>; and the 115 km. stretch from Thi\u00e8s to Touba<\/a>, the final destination of the planned motorway, will start under construction in the near future.<\/p>\n There were an estimated 4,271 km of paved roads and 10,305 km of unpaved roads as of 1996.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> flies daily to\/from Atlanta\/Dakar\/Johannesburg. South African Airways<\/a> flies daily to New York and Washington, D.C. from Johannesburg<\/a> via Dakar. The old L\u00e9opold S\u00e9dar Senghor International Airport<\/a> in Dakar is now only exists as a cargo hub.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Senegalese government offers exegesis for the presence of yellow and red as well, yellow being “the symbol of wealth; it represents the product of work, for a nation whose main priority is the progress of economy, which will allow the increase of the cultural level, the second national priority.” Additionally, yellow is denoted as “the color of arts, literature, and intellect”, primarily because literature teachers in Senegal are known to wear yellow blouses. Red “recalls the color of blood, therefore color of life and the sacrifice accepted by the nation, and also of the strong determination to fight against underdevelopment.”<\/p>\n Historically, the three colors represent the three political parties which merged to form Union Progressiste S\u00e9n\u00e9galais\u00e9 (Senegalese Progressist Union, now Socialist Party of Senegal<\/a>, Leopold Senghor’<\/a>s party): green for Bloc D\u00e9mocratique S\u00e9n\u00e9galais (Senegalese Democratic Bloc<\/a>), yellow for Mouvement Populaire S\u00e9n\u00e9galais (Senegalese Popular Movement<\/a>) and red for Parti S\u00e9n\u00e9galais d’Action Sociale (Senegalese Party of Socialist Action<\/a>).<\/p>\n Green, yellow and red are the colors of the Pan-Africanist movement. That pattern was replicated on Senegal’s flag as a sign of unity among African countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 colour of the Prophet, Christians see the presence of green as a portent of hope, and Animists view green as representative of fecundity.<\/p>\n The Senegalese government offers exegesis for the presence of yellow and red as well, yellow being “the symbol of wealth; it represents the product of work, for a nation whose main priority is the progress of economy, which will allow the increase of the cultural level, the second national priority.” Additionally, yellow is denoted as “the colour of arts, literature, and intellect”, primarily because literature teachers in Senegal are known to wear yellow blouses. Red “recalls the colour of blood, therefore colour of life and the sacrifice accepted by the nation, and also of the strong determination to fight against underdevelopment.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[19,66,59,11,6,7,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8495"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}History:<\/h2>\n
Early and Pre-Colonial Eras:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Jolof-Empire-300x226.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Colonial Era:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/French-Slave-Traders-in-Goree-18th-Century-212x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Louis-Faidherbe-234x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Independence (1960):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Leopold-Sedar-Senghor-220x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Topographic-Map-of-Senegal-300x197.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Senegal-Exports-in-2017-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Road-Map-of-Senegal-300x231.gif\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>
\nDakar-Ndjamena Highway<\/a> which links the countries of the Sahel, also called the Trans-Sahelian Highway
\nDakar-Lagos Highway<\/a> running along the West African coast and called by the Economic Community of West African States<\/a> (ECOWAS) the Trans\u2013West African Coastal Highway (though ECOWAS considers this route to start in Nouakchott<\/a>, Mauritania<\/a>).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Blaise-Diagne-International-Airport-300x146.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Senegal:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Flag-of-Senegal-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>