The Republic of Senegal is Located in the West Africa region; bordering the North Atlantic Ocean (Coastline: 531 km), between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.

Its has a total area of: 196,190 sq. Km (land 192,000 sq. Km; water: 4,190 sq. Km)

The bordering countries are: The Gambia inserted in the Southcenter of Senegal's territory like a sword over 740 km, Guinea in the Southeast over 330 km; Guinea-Bissau in the Southwest over 338 km; Mali in the West over 419 km; Mauritania in the North over 813 km alongside the Senegal River.

It has a population level of: 10,580,307 (July 2003 est.) and a population growth rate of: 2.56% (2003) Dakar is the Capital and largest city with 1,859,823 inhabitants.

Independence: April 4,1960 from France as a state member of the so called "Federation du Mali" comprising also Le Soudan Français (The actual Republic of Mali) When the Federation dismembered, three months after its establishment, Senegal became independent as a single state under the denomination of Republic of Senegal on August 20, 1960

National holiday: Independence Day: April 4

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

Agriculture production: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Industry production: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1998) 5.2% (2000)

From the independence year (1960) till 1981, Senegal was ruled by a poet-politician: Leopold Sedar Senghor, founder of the Socialist Party. A seasoned politician (who had been minister in several French government's cabinets during the IV French Republic's era (1949-1958). He was not an economist.

During his rule, the country benefited from the prestige attached to his name as a poet and attracted funds and bilateral financing to sustain the economy. No integrated strategic scheme was devised to methodically develop the country. In the contrary, Senegal continued to live on the same standards inherited from the colonial era (Dakar was till 1960 the Capital City of West Africa's French Colonies (Afrique Occidentale Française). Civil servants for instance remained years after the independence as numerous as during the colonial area and most of the budget devoted to salaries and benefits payment.

Agriculture production is dominated by peanut production, which yields evolve up and down according to climatic conditions - most often bad and worse during the recurrent draughts of 1970's. No systematic economic strategy had been implemented to diversify the agricultural base. Cultivation of rice - the common Senegalese diet - had not been developed and most needed hard currency was diverted to importing year upon year huge quantities of rice.

When Senghor voluntarily stepped down in January 1981, his then prime minister (since ten years) Abdou Diouf took over in accordance with the Constitution. He stood in power till March 2000 He also had not made a systematic attempt to develop the country - with an integrated strategic planning - in spite of constant inflow of international financing.

In January 1994, after 100% devaluation of the national currency - the CFA Franc against the French Franc - Senegal, under recommendation from the IMF and the World Bank, undertook economic reforms. The state control of prices and subsidies to some commodities - rice sugar, etc.; -were suppressed.

The economy then experienced a turnaround: GNP, which sustained a negative growth in 1993 (- 2.1%), increased steadily and reached an average growth of 5% annually in 1995-2000. Annual inflation was kept under 2%, and fiscal deficit cut to less than 1.5% of GNP. Investment rose steadily from 13.8% of GNP in 1993 to 17.8% in 1998.

These macroeconomics achievements, however, did not translated into better living conditions for the majority who voted on March 19, 2000 for "SOPI" the "Changeover" and elected the 30 year- long political opponent, Abdoulaye Wade, as the new head of state. He was sworn in on April 1, 2000 .

In spite of a peace agreement signed on March 23, 2002, with the leader of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, a rebellion movement in action since 1982 against the government, in the Casamance region, alongside the Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry borders, President Wade's government is still confronted with a situation of no peace no war in said region. The rebellion is still active with sporadic armed actions against government troops.

When the Casamance's Peace Agreement would be fully implemented and consolidated, the Senegalese government will be in the position to step up the development of the region where 90% of good arable land are located.

A systematic development of agribusiness in the Casamance region would doubtless be a driving force for Senegal's economy. Casamance would then act as a magnet for the rural population to helping reverse current rural migration to major Senegalese cities, which resulted in sprawling peripheral shanty towns, high level and chronic unemployment, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction.

There are business opportunities in agribusiness (rice production, sugar production etc.;); fish conservation; meat processing; fertilizer production, low cost housing scheme.

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5- Muslim Brotherhoods And Politics In Senegal by Lucy C. Behrman 6- The Monks of Keur Moussa Audio CD 7- Goree Island Island of No Return by Richard Harrison Goree 8- A Man of Destiny Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal by Grace Collins 9- More News On Senegal by AllAfrica

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GNP:: US$ 5.33 billion (2000); 5.64 billion (2001)
GNP-real growth rate: 5.2% (1999); 5.7% (2000); 5.7 (2001)
GNP-per capita: US$ 535 (1999); 560 (2002 est.)

Click here for the difference between GNP and Parity Purchasing Power

GNP-composition by sector

1. agriculture: 18.5%
   

2. industry: 27%
   
3. services: 55% (est. 2001)

Exports: US$ $ 1.15 billion (f.o.b., 2002)
Commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Imports: US$ 1.46 billion (f.o.b., 2002)
Commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products (1998)

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A passport and a visa are required for most nationalities. There is no limit on the import and export of foreign currency, but it has to be declared on arrival. Export of local currency is restricted to FCFA 50,000. For more on entry policy, you may contact the Ministère du tourisme and Senegal's diplomatic missions below outlined

Ministère du Tourisme et des Transports Aériens BP 4049 Dakar, Senegal Tel: +(221) 8211126 Fax: +(221) 8229413 Website: Click here Email: Click here	England Embassy of the Republic of Senegal 39 Marloes Road, London, W8 6LA Tel: +(44) 171 9384048 Fax: +(44) 171 9382546
Canada Embassy Republic of Senegal 57 Marlborough Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8E8 Tel: +(1) 613 2386392 Fax: +(1) 613 2382695 ambasseu@sympatico.ca	USA Embassy of the Republic of Senegal 2112 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 Tel: +(1) 202 2340540/1 Fax: +(1) 202 3326315 senembassy@republicofsenegal.com

The international airport of Dakar-Yoff is the entrance point; well serviced by most of the international air-carriers en route to North and South America, to sub-Saharan African countries in general and North Africa. Dakar-Yoff is one of the maintenace base of the national flag carrier - Air-Afrique - the common airline to 10 sub-Saharan African countries. As Air-Afrique is collapsing Air-Senegal in partnership with Royal Air Maroc has extended flights to cope with left over Air-Afrique passengers.

The following companies have regular schedules to and from Dakar-Yoff: Air Senegal Internationa (In partnership with Royal Air Maroc), Air France, Lufthansa, Sabena, Swissair, Royal Air Maroc, Air Algeria, Tunis Air, Air Gabon, Air Mauritania, Ethiopian Airlines, Ghana Airways.

The harbor of Dakar is one of the most active of the West African coast; it is the transshipping port for Mali

Senegal is a touristic destination and have plenty hotels rooms in the Capital City Dakar, serviced to international standards. The better time to visit would be between December and April when it is cooler and dry, although it is the period when the country is tempered by the Harmattan desert wind sweeping up huge dust storms. Below are listed few hotels /links. For more you may consult the Ministry of Tourism: mtta@primature.sn or the following link