rea: 192,000 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km,
Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline: 531 km

Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 24 nm;

Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is
indefinite; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered its
decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary in favor
of Senegal--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau;
boundary with Mauritania

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has
strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry
harmattan wind

Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use: 27% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures;
31% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes 1% irrigated

Environment: lowlands seasonally flooded; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification

Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave

- People
Population: 7,713,851 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Senegalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Senegalese

Ethnic divisions: 36% Wolof, 17% Fulani, 17% Serer, 9% Toucouleur, 9%
Diola, 9% Mandingo, 1% European and Lebanese, 2% other

Religion: 92% Muslim, 6% indigenous beliefs, 2% Christian (mostly Roman
Catholic)

Language: French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo

Literacy: 28.1%

Labor force: 2,509,000; 77% subsistence agricultural workers; 175,000 wage
earners--40% private sector, 60% government and parapublic; 52% of population of
working age (1985)

Organized labor: majority of wage-labor force represented by unions;
however, dues-paying membership very limited; major confederation is
National Confederation of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an affiliate of governing
party

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Senegal

Type: republic und