@Senegal
Introduction Senegal
Background:
Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist
Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was
elected in 2000. 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. A southern separatist group sporadically has
clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one
of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history
of participating in international peacekeeping.
Geography Senegal
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates:
14 00 N, 14 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries:
total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau
338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km