Situated on the most western point of West Africa, Senegal is a country open to Europe and North America (United States and Canada). With a loaded history, it has for a long time, served as a crossroads between Europe and America. Senegal is renowned for its hospitality and the legendary openness of its peoples. It is also characterised by abundant cultural wealth and acclaimed as a model of democracy in Africa.

 

 

History
By the 4th Century, Senegal was dominated by the Maghreb and the Islamised Sudan. Between the 10th and 11th centuries, Islamic influence became stronger, as a result of the domination of small Islamised kingdom's by the Almoravides. During the 12th and 14th centuries, the new Malian Empire opened the country more to commercial exchanges. From the 12th and 17th centuries, the Slave Trade thrived through the Triangular Trade which involved both the French and British.

In 1850, Senegal looked like a fragmented country, divided into about ten autonomous kingdoms, thus creating a propitious condition for European penetration. Louis Faidherbe, then Governor of Senegal, was provided with the means to carry out a tough policy, and he started in 1857 by linking Dakar to Saint-Louis. In 1864, the Senegalese colony was created (…)

The Senegalese people however, progressively gained awareness which later made it possible for Senegal to become the first French colony in Black Africa to have political and administrative institutions. The country was endowed with elective institutions in 1848. The election of Blaise DIAGNE into the House of Representatives in 1914, was an important stage in the country's political evolution.

Senegal became a member of the United Nations Organisation on 28 September 1960. It chose to celebrate its national day on the 4 April, to commemorate the signing, on that date in 1960, of the Transfer of Powers Agreement, between France and the Federation of Mali which was established in January 1959, between Senegal and former Sudan (present day Mali).

It adopted the presidential system of government, and in 1963, Leopold Sédar Senghor was elected President of the Republic. In 1970, an institutional reform created the post of Prime Minister. In 1974 , another Constitutional reform established a multi-party system and made provision for the replacement of the President by the Prime Minister, in the event of unforeseen circumstances. The post of Prime Minister was repealed in 1983 and restored in 1991. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic, who is the head of the Executive.


Geography and climate
Situated at the Westernmost part of the African continent, between latitudes 12° and 16° 30 North and longitudes 11° 30 West, Senegal extends over a surface area of 200 000 km². It shares borders with Mauritania in the North, Mali in the East, Guinea Conakry in the south-east and Guinea Bissau in the south-west. The Gambia is an enclave of 10 300 Km² in the Southern part of Senegal.

Senegal is virtually a flat country except in the south-east, with the Fouta Djallon highlands in the Eastern Senegalese region, which abounds in various minerals. Its maritime facade extends over 700 km, covering a coastal strip from the extreme South to the extreme North. The country's main surface water resources are constituted by Rivers Senegal and Gambia (1800 km long and 1150 km long respectively), the Casamance and Kayanga streams and the Guiers Lake.

In Senegal, there is a marked climatic difference between the coastal zone and the interior. Dakar (550 km²), the country's capital, is a peninsula situated in the extreme east, with a very mild climate. In Senegal, the weather is warm throughout the year, and the sun shines virtually everyday. There are two seasons : the dry season from October to June, with an average temperature of between 20°C and 27°C, and the rainy season between June and October, with average temperatures of between 30°C and 36°C.


Population

Senegal has a population of 9.5 million inhabitants, i.e. an average density of 48 inhabitants per km². Over 25% of the population is concentrated in the Dakar region. The other point of population concentration is the centre of the country (the groundnut basin) with over 35% of the total population. The eastern part of the country is very sparsely populated.

Senegal has about twenty ethnic groups, the main ones being Wolof (43 %), Pulaar (24 %), and Sereer (15 %). Foreigners constitute 2% of population. They are mostly present in the capital, Dakar, where they are involved in the trade, industry and services sector and work in international organisations. Others, particularly nationals from neighbouring countries, are also found in northern and southern Senegal.

Education
The Senegalese education sector is characterised by the emergence of training institutions in various areas namely computer science, the sciences, medicine, management, marketing, economics etc. Senegal hosts the first university in francophone West and Central Africa which was founded during the colonial era and which trained the first African leaders. This tradition of excellence in education and training is still strong and Senegal continues to be the crucible of qualified human resources.

Its system of education comprises primary and secondary schools, technical and professional training institutions, and two universities. Most of the Senegalese top public servants were initially trained in the country before pursuing their higher education and professional training in American and European universities. Senegal has highly qualified human resources and its nationals occupy positions of responsibility in subsidiaries of major multinational companies operating in Dakar.

The past few years saw an upsurge in private education demonstrated by the emergence of numerous training institutions in the areas of management, marketing and computer science. Thus, every year, thousands of youths are trained in the public and private educational systems and are mostly recruited by public and private firms where they are of invaluable service.

Political System
In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the institutions of the Republic of Senegal are : the President of the Republic, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, and the various other courts. The President of the Republic is elected by universal suffrage for seven (7) years. The supreme law of the Republic contains a preamble in which the people of Senegal solemnly proclaim their independence and their attachment to the basic rights, as defined in the 1789 Declaration of Human and Citizens Rights and in the Universal Declaration of 10 December 1948.

Senegal is a secular, democratic and socialist State, in which all citizens are equal before the law regardless of their race, creed, sex and origin. The official language is French. Legislative power is exercised by a National Assembly of one hundred and twenty (120) members, elected for five years. The National Assembly is entrusted with the mission of controlling) effectively control the government by adopting and rejecting bills, asking oral or written questions to members of the government and forming commissions of inquiry. They may also pass a motion of censure against the government.

The judiciary
The judiciary is structured around the Constitutional Council, the Court of Cassation, the Council of State and other courts. The Constitution, which is the basis of the organisation of the judiciary, attributes three principles to it : the independence of judges and magistrates presiding over the various courts, the inviolability of human rights and the absolute nature of the rights of the defence.

The Constitutional Council has jurisdiction over constitutional matters and conflicts of competence. It proclaims the results of the parliamentary and presidential elections while the Council of State is competent in rural and municipal elections and to ensure that public accounts are correctly kept. Others include the Court of Appeal of Dakar, the regional courts, the departmental tribunals and labour courts. There are also special courts, namely the Court of budgetary discipline to fight against corruption and embezzlement.

Senegal is endowed with an Arbitration and Mediation Chamber, set up to facilitate a rapid prevention and resolution of various disputes, through arbitration and mediation, and to institute an accessible, democratic and efficient justice system. The Arbitration and Mediation Chamber is based in the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Dakar, which is a professional public institution. It is in charge of defending the general interests of various economic sectors which it represents. It is thus in close contact with the public authorities.

A model of democracy
In the Constitution, the Senegalese people also proclaim their respect for the inviolable guarantee of political and trade union liberties, freedom of the human being, the family and local governments, philosophical and religious freedom, ownership rights and economic and social rights.

Senegal is a democratic country. It has over fifty political parties and has a civil society whose aim is to participate in the development of public opinion on issues of major interest to the State, through sensitisation. The country also has a dynamic and independent private press in addition to the State media. Freedom of the press and of association are recognised in Senegal. It is one of the few African countries without a Ministry of Information and Communication, thus demonstrating genuine commitment to press liberalisation.

March 2000 ushered in political change at the head of the executive, with Mr. Abdoulaye Wade's victory in the presidential elections. Leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party, of liberal persuasion, President Wade, through transparent elections, defeated Abdou Diouf of the Socialist Party (PS), a party which ruled Senegal for forty years. This political change was hailed throughout the world.

A country of Religious Tolerance
During the first twenty years of its independence, Senegal, although composed essentially of Muslims who form 95% of its population, was ruled by a Christian president, Leopold Sédar Senghor. This illustrates that Senegal is a modern country, open to the world and marked by its populations' profound religious tolerance. Muslims and Christians live together in peace and harmony. This harmonious coexistence is one of the characteristic features of the Senegalese society