Senegal: The Basic Facts

Full name: Republic of Senegal

Population: 12.5 million (UN, 2009)

Capital: Dakar

Area: 196,722 sq km (75,955 sq miles)

Major language: French (official), Wolof

Major religion: Islam

Life expectancy: 54 years (men), 57 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes

Main exports: Fish, peanuts, petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

GNI per capita: US $970 (World Bank, 2008)

Internet domain: .sn

International dialling code: +221

For the Senegalese, political participation and peaceful leadership changes are not new. Even as a colony Senegal had representatives in the French parliament. And the promoter of African culture, Leopold Senghor, who became president at independence in 1960, voluntarily handed over power to Abdou Diouf in 1980.

The 40-year rule of Senegal's Socialist Party came to a peaceful end in elections in 2000, which were hailed as a rare democratic power transfer on a continent plagued by coups, conflict and election fraud.

Senegal is on the western-most part of the bulge of Africa and includes desert in the north and a moist, tropical south. Slaves, ivory and gold were exported from the coast during the 17th and 18th centuries and now the economy is based mainly on agriculture. The money sent home by Senegalese living abroad is a key source of revenue.

A long-running, low-level separatist war in the southern Casamance region has claimed hundreds of lives. The conflict broke out over claims by the region's people that they were being marginalised by the Wolof, Senegal's main ethnic group.**

The government and rebels signed a peace pact at the end of 2004, raising hopes for reconciliation.

On the world stage, Senegal has sent peacekeeping troops to DR Congo, Liberia and Kosovo.

• Information taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1064496.stm

** Note: To all those who may be mildly concerned about my safety, this region is on the opposite side of the country. I will be attending university in the northernmost region of Senegal in Saint-Louis. So, no worries about any run-ins with that.