Senegal

Senegal

a republic in West Africa, on the Atlantic: made part of French West Africa in 1895; became fully independent in 1960; joined with The Gambia to form the Confederation of Senegambia (1982--89); mostly low-lying, with semidesert in the north and tropical forest in the southwest. Official language: French. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Dakar. Pop.: 10 339 000 (2004 est.). Area: 197 160 sq. km (76 124 sq. miles)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Senegal

Official name: Republic of Senegal

Capital city: Dakar

Internet country code: .sn

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

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

Total area: 76,000 sq. mi. (196,840 sq. km.)

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

Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural); adjective: Senegalese

Population: 12,521,851 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Languages spoken: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diola, Mandingo, Soninke

Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 5%, indigenous religions 1%

Legal Holidays:

All Saints' Day	Nov 1
Assumption Day	Aug 15
Christmas Day	Dec 25
Easter Monday	Apr 25, 2011; Apr 9, 2012; Apr 1, 2013; Apr 21, 2014; Apr 6, 2015; Mar 28, 2016; Apr 17, 2017; Apr 2, 2018; Apr 22, 2019; Apr 13, 2020; Apr 5, 2021; Apr 18, 2022; Apr 10, 2023
Independence Day	Apr 4
Labor Day	May 1
New Year's Day	Jan 1

Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Sénégal

 

a river in West Africa, flowing through the Republic of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania. Rising in the Fouta Djallon Mountains as the Bafing River, the river is called the Sénégal only after its confluence with the Bakoy River. Its length from the headwaters of the Bafing River is 1,430 km, and it drains an area of 441,000 sq km. The Sénégal is full of rapids in the upper course and forms many waterfalls; farther downstream it flows mostly through flat country. It empties into the Atlantic, forming a delta of about 1,500 sq km. Its mouth is obstructed by a sandbar.

The river’s discharge fluctuates from 5 cu m per sec in May to 2,000–5,000 cu m per sec in August and September. During the high-water period from June through October the river is navigable for 888 km to Kayes, and after the water level drops, to Podor 283 km upstream. A hydroelectric station has been built on the river, which is also used for irrigation and fishing. The largest cities on the river are the port of Saint-Louis at its mouth, Bafoulabé, and Bakel.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.