The Republic of Senegal is a West African country with a total area of 196712 square kilometers, which is slightly smaller than the mainland Shaanxi province (205,600 square kilometers). Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar, and the official language is French. Senegal is the westernmost country on the African continent and takes its name from the Senegal River bordering the east and north.
Map of Senegal
Territorial environment in Senegal
Senegal borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west. On land, the country's longest border is the northern border with Mauritania, with an 813-kilometer border along the Senegal River. To the east is the 419-kilometer border with Mali. Guinea (330 km) to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau (338 km) to the southwest, with both borders running along the Casamance River. Senegal is one of the few countries with near-enclaves within its borders – the Gambia, a small, landlocked country with a 740-kilometre border with Senegal.
The Gambia runs more than 320 kilometres into Senegal along the Gambia River from the Atlantic coast to central Senegal, dividing Senegalese territory in two. In total, Senegal has 2,640 km of land borders, as well as 531 km of coastline and coastline. Senegal has maritime claims to a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles (44.4 km), a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) and an exclusive economic zone of 370 km (200 nautical miles). It also claims a continental shelf of 200 nautical miles (370.4 km), or to the edge of a continental margin.
The Rose Lake in Senegal is a pink lake
Another notable and widely known feature of the country is the Rose Lake, a pink lake near the city of Dakar, which is one of the few lakes in the world that naturally exhibits pink or red lake water.
Senegal's lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean, which is sea level. The highest point is Mount Baunez at 648 meters above sea level.
Senegal contains four terrestrial ecoregions: Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, Sahel Acacia savanna, West Sudan savanna, and Guinean mangroves.
Flag of Senegal picture
Climate of Senegal
Senegal has a tropical climate with a pleasant climate throughout the year, with dry and wet seasons, northeast winds in winter and southwesterly winds in summer. The dry season (December to April) is dominated by hot, dry Hamedan winds. The annual rainfall in Dakar is about 600 mm, which occurs between June and October, with highs averaging 30°C and lows of 24.2°C; The average maximum temperature from December to February is 25.7°C and the lowest temperature is 18°C.
Internal temperatures are higher than in coastal areas, for example, Khao Lak and Tambakunda have average daily temperatures of 30°C and 32.7°C respectively in May, while Dakar has an average daily temperature of 23.2°C, and rainfall has increased significantly in farther south, exceeding 1500 mm per year in some areas.
In the far inland of Tambakunta, especially on the Malian border where the desert begins, temperatures can reach as high as 54°C. The northernmost part of the country has a near-hot desert climate, a hot semi-arid climate in the center, and a tropical wet and dry climate in the south. Senegal is primarily a sunny and dry country.
View of Dakar, the capital of Senegal
Senegal's natural resources
Senegal is rich in minerals, especially phosphate and iron ore. There are other resources, detailed below:
- Phosphate: Senegal produces about 1.6 million tons of phosphate per year, and its total reserves are about 5~1 billion tons;
- Zircon: Senegal's sand is rich in zirconium, titanium, metals and gemstones.
- Iron ore: Iron ore deposits are spread over four separate zones with total reserves of 750 million tonnes.
- Marble: Large deposits of high-quality marble will be discovered in eastern Senegal, with estimated reserves amounting to millions of cubic meters.
- Gold: The country could soon become a major gold producer in Africa, as confirmed by the presence of the world's largest gold producer. Gold mining is underway in Senegal.
- Industrial limestone: Senegal has industrial limestone deposits.
- Salt: Senegalese salt is found in the Rose Lake. The lake is highly salinous and is an important natural resource for Senegal's economy.
Population of Senegal
As of November 2022, Senegal's total population is approximately 17798822, with a population growth rate of 2.75%. Senegal has a population density of approximately 87 people, of whom 49.4 per cent live in cities.
The average age of Senegal is only 18.5 years old, of which only 3.73% are over 65 years old, 54.37% are 15 to 64 years old, and only 41.9% are children under 14 years old, which shows that Senegal is a country with a very young population structure and no aging problem.
Senegalese cityscape
Economic data for Senegal
Senegal's GDP in 2022 was US$27,542 million, ranking 111th in the world, and its per capita GDP was US$1,558, ranking 157th in the world.
Senegal's economy is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in rural areas, despite the abundance of natural resources such as iron, zircon, natural gas, gold, phosphate, and the recent discovery of large amounts of oil. Most of the foreign exchange earnings of the Senegalese economy come from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism and services.
The main industries are food processing, mining, cement, fertilizer, chemical industry, textile, imported petroleum refining, tourism, etc. Exports include fish, chemicals, cotton, fabrics, peanuts and calcium phosphate. As of 2020, the largest export markets were Mali (20.4%), Switzerland (12.2%) and India (8.3%).
Agriculture is one of the main parts of Senegal's economy, despite its location in the drought-prone Sahel region. With only about 5 per cent of its land irrigated, Senegal continues to rely on rain-fed agriculture. Agriculture accounts for about 75% of the workforce. Despite the wide variety of agricultural production, most farmers produce for subsistence. Millet, rice, maize and sorghum are the main food crops grown in Senegal.
Senegal is a net importer of food, especially rice, accounting for nearly 75 per cent of cereal imports. Peanuts, sugar cane and cotton are important cash crops, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are grown for local and export markets. In 2006, gum arabic exports soared to $280 million, making it by far the main agricultural export. Green beans, industrial tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, melons and mangoes are Senegal's main vegetable cash crops.
The fisheries sector is Senegal's main economic resource and main source of foreign exchange earnings. The livestock and poultry industry is relatively underdeveloped and has the potential for modernization, development and growth. Senegal imports most of its milk and dairy products. The industry is restrained due to low production and limited investment. The potential production of animal and forest products is large and diverse.