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Embassies

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Senegal
Ambassador: Mr. Lu Shaye
Address: Rue 18, Prolongee, Fann Residence, Dakar, Senegal (B.P. 342)
Tel: +221-8697701 (switchboard), +221-8647775
Fax: +221-8647780

Economic & Commercial Counselor's Office
Tel: +221-8647957
Fax: +221-8647956, 8240062
Immigration Office
Tel: +221-8645126


Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in Beijing
Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Papa Khalilou Fall
Address: 305 Dong Wai Diplomatic Office Building, No. 23, Dong Zhi Men Wai Da Jie
Postal Code: 100600
Tel: (+86)10 6532 5035, 6532 3798
Fax: (+86)10 6532 7330, 6532 2693



Geography

Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal's highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha at 584 m (1926 ft). The northern border is formed by the Senegal River, other rivers include the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.
The local climate is tropical with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. Dakar's annual rainfall of about 600 mm (24 in) occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 27 °C (81 °F); December to February minimum temperatures are about 17 °C (63°F). Interior temperatures can be substantially higher than along the coast, and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1.5 m (59.1 in) annually in some areas. The far interior of the country, in the region of Tambacounda, particularly on the border of Mali, temperatures can reach as high as 54 °C (130 °F).




Government

Senegal is a republic with a presidency; the president is elected every five years as of 2001, previously being seven years, by universal adult suffrage. The current president is Abdoulaye Wade, re-elected in March 2007.
Senegal has more than 80 political parties. The bicameral parliament consists of the National Assembly, which has 120 seats, and the Senate, which has 100 seats and was reinstituted in 2007. An independent judiciary also exists in Senegal. The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council and the court of justice, members of which are named by the president.
Currently Senegal has a democratic political culture, being one of the more successful post-colonial democratic transitions in Africa. Local administrators are appointed by, and responsible to, the president. The marabouts, religious leaders of the various Senegalese Muslim brotherhoods, also exercise a strong political influence in the country.




Population

Senegal has a population of over 11 million, about 70 percent of whom live in rural areas. Density in these areas varies from about 77 inhabitants per square kilometre (199/sq mi) in the west-central region to 2 inhabitants per square kilometre (5/sq mi) in the arid eastern section.
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Peul and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar, Fulbe or Fula) (24 percent) are the second biggest group, followed by others that include the Serer (15 percent), Lebou (10 percent), Jola (4 percent), Mandinka (3 percent), Maures or Naarkajors, Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9 percent). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.) About 50,000 Europeans (mostly French) and Lebanese as well as smaller numbers of Mauritanians and Moroccans reside in Senegal, mainly in the cities.
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca. Pulaar is spoken by the Peuls and Toucouleur
Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 95 percent of the country's population; the Christian community, at 4 percent of the population, includes Roman Catholics and diverse Protestant denominations. There is also a 1 percent population who maintain animism in their beliefs, particularly in the southeastern region of the country.
Population: 13,711,597 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 2,911,324/female 2,877,804)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 3,728,664/female 3,786,000)
65 years and over: 3% (male 190,343/female 217,462) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.709% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Birth rate: 36.84 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Death rate: 10.72 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Urbanization 42% of total population (2008)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59 years
country comparison to the world: 186
male: 57.12 years
female: 60.93 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:		 67,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,800 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 74




Economy

In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during 1995-2008. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the single digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. High unemployment, however, continues to prompt illegal migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe. Senegal was also beset by an energy crisis that caused widespread blackouts in 2006 and 2007. The phosphate industry has struggled for two years to secure capital, and reduced output has directly impacted GDP. In 2007, Senegal signed agreements for major new mining concessions for iron, zircon, and gold with foreign companies. Firms from Dubai have agreed to manage and modernize Dakar's maritime port, and create a new special economic zone. Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal has benefited from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt. In 2007, Senegal and the IMF agreed to a new, non-disbursing, Policy Support Initiative program.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $21.9 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
$20.92 billion (2007)
$20.08 billion (2006)
GDP (official exchange rate): $13.9 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: $11.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
2% (2007 est.)
2.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,600 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
$1,600 (2007 est.)
$1,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16%
industry: 19.4%
services: 64.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force: 4.973 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 77.5%
industry and services: 22.5% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate: 48% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Household income
or consumption by % share		 54% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty rate lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 33.4% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $3.141 billion
expenditures: $3.799 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt: 21.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
5.9% (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Electricity - production: 2.28 billion kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Electricity - consumption: 1.657 billion kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Telephones - main lines in use: 269,100 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 117
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.123 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 89
Telephone system general assessment: good system
Internet hosts: 217 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 175
Internet users: 820,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 89



- Imagine Media, 2009 -