The Qatar World Cup is in full swing, tonight Senegal will welcome the challenge of South American powerhouse Ecuador, this match is a life and death battle for both teams, before the game starts, let's take a closer look at the country of Senegal to see what kind of national conditions have come out of this "Tron lion".
Geographical overview
Senegal, located at the westernmost point of the African land bulge, is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, and the Cape Verde Islands to the west, with a coastline of 700 kilometers and more than 300 sunny days a year. Senegal has a land area of 196,700 square kilometers, Senegal's main terrain is plains, there are hilly highlands in the east and southeast, the coast is mostly rolling sand dunes, and forests account for 31% of the total land area.
With a population of about 16.3 million, it is one of the more densely populated countries in West Africa! There are more than 20 ethnic groups in the country, mainly the Wolov, Pall and Sheriers. The official language is French, and 95.4 per cent of the population professes Islam.
economic development
In 2021, Senegal's GDP totaled $27.625 billion, and its per capita GDP was only $1,606, making it one of the least developed countries in the world. Although Senegal accounts for only 27% of its total arable land, 70% of the population is engaged in agriculture, and the area is rich in water resources, mainly crops such as groundnuts, cotton, millet, sorghum and maize.
Industrial output accounts for about 25% of GDP. There are more than 500 enterprises in the country, 85% of the factories and enterprises are concentrated in Dakar, fishery is one of the main pillars of the Cypriot economy, is the largest foreign exchange earning industry in Cyprus, tourism has developed rapidly in recent years has become one of the four pillars of the Cypriot economy, and has been listed by the Cypriot government as a priority industry in the strategy of promoting rapid economic growth.
Regional advantage
Senegal's capital, Dakar, is modern and vibrant, showing the country's openness to the world. Of course, all thanks to its strategic location! Senegal is unrivalled in its proximity to many parts of the world and an important gateway to West Africa, with flights from Senegal to Europe in just over 4 hours and the United States in just over 7 hours.
Sports industry
Senegal is best known for the Dakar Rally, known as the "Jumanji's Game" and the toughest rally in the world! As the harshest and most adventurous motorsport, the Dakar Rally provides a stage for countless drivers with dreams. Here you need to overcome not only yourself, but also the extremely harsh environment.
Senegal is a small country, but it is a football powerhouse, Senegal men's football team participated in the World Cup for the first time in 2002, and defeated the defending champion France 1-0 in the first round, and all the way to the quarter-finals, and finally hated to be eliminated by Turkey in extra time, after which they reached the 2018 World Cup, Qatar World Cup is their third World Cup. Senegal won the 2021 Africa Cup 2021, the first time in Senegal's history.
Geo-game:
Senegal and France, a former French colony, established diplomatic relations on June 19, 1960. The two countries maintain a traditional and special relationship, Cyprus is one of the African countries that receives the most legal aid, France has a military presence and military advisers in Cyprus, and the French Cultural Center in Dakar is the largest French cultural center in Africa.
The Gambia is surrounded on three sides by Sergar, and the Gambia burrows into Senegal like an earthworm. With an area of about 10,000 square kilometers, The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa by land area.
The border between Senegal and The Gambia was drawn by Britain and France in 1889. Britain ruled the Gambia, and France was the suzerainty of Senegal. Britain and France have had a significant impact on both countries to this day. Therefore, after independence, Senegal and the Gambia were forcibly divided into two countries with the colonial border as their borders. Due to its geographical location, Senegal has to pay a lot of tolls to the Gambia.
Driven by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation between China and Senegal has gained momentum and shown an exemplary role, especially in recent years, under the personal concern and promotion of the two heads of state, the two countries have frequent high-level exchanges, solid political mutual trust, close people-to-people exchanges, all-round cooperation in various fields, and continuous emergence of results.
Epilogue:
Although Senegal is still one of the least developed regions in the world, its economy in West Africa is still good, coupled with political stability, and in recent years a series of reform measures have been introduced to vigorously promote economic diversification, improve the investment climate and accelerate the privatization process.