Background: Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The
Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However,
the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out,
and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern
separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since
1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international
peacekeeping.

Geography Senegal

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 196,190 sq km land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries: total: 2,640 km border countries: 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 territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% other: 88% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 710 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by
poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification;
overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note: westernmost country on the African continent; The
Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

People Senegal

Population: 10,589,571 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,321,789; female 2,290,105)
15-64 years: 53.4% (male 2,710,178; female 2,943,554) 65 years and over:
3.1% (