Senegal
Capital
Dakar
Population
~17.2 million
Currency
West African CFA franc (XOF)
Quick Facts
- Languages
- French (official), Wolof (widely spoken)
- Religion
- Predominantly Sunni Islam (Sufi orders influential)
- Climate
- Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season May-Nov (south), dry season Dec-Apr (north)
Culture & History
Known for: Teranga (Wolof concept of hospitality), vibrant music scene (Mbalax), and former Dakar Rally endpoint
Also famous for: Gorée Island (slave trade history, UNESCO site), stable democracy in West Africa, Léopold Sédar Senghor (poet-president)
Food: Thieboudienne (fish and rice), Yassa (chicken/fish with onion sauce)
Brief History
Part of West African empires, French colony, independence 1960 (briefly with Mali), known for relative political stability