Senegal
The westernmost country of mainland West Africa, named after the Senegal River.
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country of mainland West Africa, situated along the Atlantic Ocean coast. It borders Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds the Gambia, a country occupying a narrow strip of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. It also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. The capital and largest city of Senegal is Dakar.
- Capital
- Dakar
- Region
- Western Africa
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc
- Official Language
- French
- National Animal
- Lion
- Dominant Religion
- Islam (Sunni)
- Geographic Distinction
- Westernmost point of mainland Africa
Lore & Background
The country of Senegal is named after the Senegal River. The name of the river may derive from a Portuguese transliteration of the name of the Zenaga, also known as the Sanhaja. Alternatively, it could be a combination of the supreme deity in Serer religion (Rog Sene) and o gal, meaning ‘body of water’ in the Serer language. French author and priest David Boilat proposed that the name comes from the Wolof phrase 'sunuu gaal', which means 'our canoe'.
In Their Own Story
The salt wind sweeps off the Atlantic, carrying the rhythmic thump of a sabar drum from a village square in Casamance. An elder sits beneath a sprawling baobab, his hands stained with indigo dye as he weaves a story into a woven mat. Nearby, the call to prayer echoes from a minaret that blends seamlessly with the colonial stone of the old quarter. A traveler pauses, not just hearing the music but feeling the pulse of Teranga—a silent invitation to sit, share a bowl of thiéboudienne, and become part of the story for one evening.
Reader's Guide
French is the official language, but it is understood by only a small minority of the population. Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal. Wolof is the most widely spoken, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language, acting as Senegal's lingua franca alongside French. Arabic and Pulaar also remain popular among certain communities. The largest ethnic groups are the Wolof, Fula, and Serer people. Senegalese people are predominantly Muslim.
Did You Know?
- Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia.
- The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule.
- Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres and has a population of around 18 million.
- On the 2024 V-Dem Democracy Indices, Senegal is ranked 68th in electoral democracy worldwide and 10th in electoral democracy in Africa.
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