Middle East / Africa
Country profile: Senegal
Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania |
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 |
Size: | 196190 sq. km total (Land area: 192000 sq. km Water area: 4190 sq.km) |
Population: | 12,853,259 (July 2008 est.) |
Languages: | French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka |
Government: | republic |
Capital city: | Dakar |
Legal system: | based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
Currency: | based on French civil law system; judicial review |
Licensing: |
Country profile
Regional leaders created the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on May 28, 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria. ECOWAS is comprised of 15 countries, which include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire , The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria , Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The leaders established ECOWAS to promote regional integration and economic growth in West Africa, as well as to create a monetary union in the region. However, ECOWAS has encountered problems in the process of regional integration including: political instability and lack of good governance that has plagued many member countries, the insufficient diversification of national economies, the absence of reliable infrastructure, and the multiplicity of organizations for regional integration with the same objectives.
The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. He was reelected in February 2007, but complaints of fraud led opposition parties to boycott June 2007 legislative polls. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
Energy production and consumption
Oil | Gas | |
Production: | 2 billion cu m (2006 est.) | |
Consumption: | 35,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 2 billion cu m (2006 est.) |
Exports: | 3,889 bbl/day (2005 est.) | |
Imports: | 37,180 bbl/day (2005 est.) | |
Reserves: | ||
Major fields: |
Senegal - recent news
13 Feb 24 |
Senegal: Capricorn provides Senegal update Capricorn notes Woodside Energy’s announcement today confirming the arrival of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility for Woodside’s Sangomar Field development offshore Senegal and its intention to continue to target First Production for mid-2024. |
13 Feb 24 |
Senegal: Sangomar FPSO arrives in Senegal Woodside Energy has announced that the Léopold Sédar Senghor Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility has safely arrived offshore Senegal. This is a significant step toward achieving First Production from the Sangomar field which is targeted for mid-2024. |
06 Feb 24 |
Senegal: Axess Group wins inspection contract with MODEC for FPSO Léopold Sédar Senghor Axess Group has won a long-term inspection contract with MODEC for FPSO Léopold Sédar Senghor in Senegal. This contract follows the completion of several baseline surveys in China and Singapore during the construction phase. The scope of work includes annual certification scopes for lifting gear, DROPS surveys, remedial actions and support with all rigging operations. |
27 Dec 23 |
Senegal: Sangomar FPSO sets sail for Senegal Woodside Energy has achieved another significant step forward for the Sangomar Project offshore Senegal with the sail away from Singapore of the Léopold Sédar Senghor Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility. |
16 Nov 23 |
Senegal: Capricorn receives tax notice regarding the sale of its PSC interests offshore Senegal to Woodside Capricorn Energy has received notification that Woodside Energy has received a notice from the Senegalese Tax Authority stating that registration duty and real estate capital gains tax is due regarding the sale of Capricorn's PSC interests offshore Senegal to Woodside. |
Senegal - more news
Other countries in this region
- Algeria,
- Angola,
- Bahrain,
- Benin,
- Botswana,
- Burundi,
- Cameroon,
- Central Africa Republic,
- Chad,
- Comoros,
- Congo (Brazzaville),
- Congo (Democratic Rep.),
- Cote d'Ivoire,
- Djibouti,
- Egypt,
- Equatorial Guinea,
- Eritrea,
- Ethiopia,
- Gabon,
- Gambia,
- Ghana,
- Guinea (Republic),
- Guinea Bissau,
- Iran,
- Iraq,
- Israel,
- Jordan,
- Kenya,
- Kuwait,
- Lebanon,
- Liberia,
- Libya,
- Madagascar,
- Malawi,
- Mali,
- Mauritania,
- Mauritius,
- Morocco,
- Mozambique,
- Namibia,
- Niger,
- Nigeria,
- Oman,
- Palestine,
- Qatar,
- Rwanda,
- Sao Tome,
- Saudi Arabia,
- Seychelles,
- Sierra Leone,
- Somalia,
- Somaliland,
- South Africa,
- South Sudan,
- Sudan,
- Syria,
- Tanzania,
- Togo,
- Tunisia,
- Uganda,
- United Arab Emirates,
- Western Sahara,
- Yemen,
- Zambia,
- Zanzibar,
- Zimbabwe