Capital:
name: Dakar
geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick,
Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies,
Ziguinchor
Independence:
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved
upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution:
new constitution adopted 7 January 2001
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last
held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19
March 2000 (next to be held 25 February 2007); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote
in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.5%, Abdou
DIOUF (PS) 41.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: the former National Assembly had 120 seats, but deputies in
late 2006 voted to expand the number of seats to 140
elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 25 February
2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to
postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they
will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or
Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals