Senegal

National name: République du Sénegal

Government
Multiparty democractic republic.

Geography
The capital of Senegal, Dakar, is the westernmost point in Africa. Senegal is mainly a low-lying country, with a semidesert area in the north and northeast and forests in the southwest. The largest rivers include the Senegal in the north and the Casamance in the southern tropical climate region.

 Historical Background
 Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa.

Name

Senegal

Capital

(and largest city) Dakar 14°40′N 17°25′W

Language

French

Area

Total 196,723 km2 (87th) 76,000 sq mi  Water (%) 2.1

Population

2009 estimate 13,711,597-2002 census 9,967,215-Density 69.7/km2 180.4/sq mi

Currency

CFA franc (XOF)