Foundation Islamic Union
Senegal
Official name: Republic of Senegal (SN)
Capital city; : Dakar
Important Cities: 10 regions; Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-
Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Area: 196.722 Km2
Population : 16,750,000 (2020)
Ethnic Structure: Religion has a very important place in Senegalese culture. Since faith is very common, those who do not worship can be met with scepticism. About 95 per cent of the country is Muslim. Wolof is the most populous ethnic group with 43% of the total population. Although this Muslim group is spread almost everywhere in the country, the majority of them live in the centre, north and on the Atlantic coast of Dakar and Saint Lois and generally earn their living by farming and trading. The Lebou are an ethnic group, a branch of the Wolof. They are spread over Cap Vert and the Saint Luis peninsula and are mainly engaged in fishing. The Peulhs/Fulanis are another large ethnic group, making up about 24 per cent of the population. In the north of Senegal, Fouta Toro is the cultural centre of the Pular group, which played a role in the spread of Islam and is of historical importance for Senegal. The Pular, who live in the Senegal River valley and Ferlo region, are very active in trade and are also engaged in animal husbandry and irrigated agriculture. The Serer ethnic group is another ethnic group that can be considered crowded. This group, which makes up about 15 per cent of the total population, is less mixed with other ethnic groups. They are based in Sine-Saloum and the Small Coast region between the centre of Senegal and north-west Gambia. Except for those in the Small Coast region, most of them are Muslims. Diolas live in the Casamance region. People from this ethnic group also live in Gambia and Guinea Bisseu. Approximately 4% of Senegal's population consists of this group. Local beliefs and Christianity are widespread in this group living on rice cultivation. The part of the Diolas living in the north-east is Muslim. Apart from the main ethnic groups, there are also smaller ethnic groups. The main ones are the Mandingos in the east, the Soninkes and Bassaris in the regions close to Mali and Mauritania. These groups subsist on maize cultivation and hunting near the Guinean border.
Language: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka. It is common for everyone to speak their local language. There are many local languages in the country. These languages are spoken rather than written. The most widely spoken of these languages is Wolof. About 80 per cent of the population can speak this language.
Religion: Muslim 92%, local beliefs 6%, Christian 2%.
Geography: West Africa is situated on the North Atlantic coast, between Guinea Bissau and Mauritania. It is generally low, rolling plains, with foothill hills in the south-east. Geographical Location Senegal is located between Guinea-Bisseau and Mauritania on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the west of Central Africa. It has a total surface area of 196 thousand km2 and a coastal length of 531 km. The capital Dakar is on the Atlantic Ocean coast on the Cape Verde Peninsula. Senegal is the most Westernised country among African countries. Neighbouring countries are Mauritania, Mali, Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bisseau. Gambia is a country surrounded by Senegal and the border continues 300 kilometres eastwards along the Gambia River. Senegal has a semi-tropical climate. Depending on the winds blowing from the north-east and south-west, dry and clear weather and humid seasons can be experienced. June to October is the driest season. The weather is drier and cooler in December-January. But the temperature does not fall below 17oC. The coastal strip is cooler than inland. The desert climate in the north of the country gives way to a semi-tropical climate towards the coast. Geography is generally dominated by low plains. The hills rise with a gentle slope from the coast to the south-east.
Mode of Government: Presidential Republic
Political and Administrative Structure: Senegal gained its independence from France on 4 April 1960. The country has a multi-party secular republic administration. It has a parliament and a strong presidential system and the judiciary is separated from the administration. Senegal Assembly has 165 members. Deputies are elected by popular vote for a period of 5 years. The last parliamentary elections were held on 30 July 2017. The last Presidential elections were held on 24 February 2019 and Macky Sall was elected for the second time. There are 14 regional administrations in Senegal and each is administered by a Governor appointed by the President. In 1997, the law on decentralisation of administration from the centre to the regions gave significant authority to local councils.
Political Parties: In 1976 a multi-party system was introduced. The socialist party has a policy in favour of secularisation, although it draws its support from Sufi orders.
History: Various Muslim sultanates were established in West and Central Africa from the 12th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, various jihad movements accelerated the spread of Islam among tribes with animist beliefs. Although European colonisers tried to prevent this, they were not successful.
With independence in 1960, non-Muslim intellectuals of the UPS (Senegal Progressive Union) took over.
Internal Problems: In addition to Muslim-Christian tensions, there are occasional frictions between urbanised societies and rural areas, Sufi orders defending tradition and modernist Islamic organisations. The main environmental problems of the country are the protection of wildlife habitats, preservation of forest lands, prevention of landslides and floods, prevention of desertification and prevention of overfishing in fisheries. For this purpose, there is active participation in many international agreements and events.
Islamism in the country: In 1953 the Muslim Cultural Union was founded, which emphasised Arabic language education and opposed exploitation. In 1954, the African Muslim Students' Union and in 1962 the Federation of Islamic Cultural Unions were established.
Economy: The country's economy is based on agriculture and natural resources are very limited. The agricultural sector currently employs 29% of the labour force. The economy is therefore highly sensitive to climatic conditions, developments in international markets and raw material prices. Tourism is also the most important foreign exchange earning sector. The share of the industrial sector in employment is 14 per cent and the share of the services sector is 57 per cent. Diversification of exports, current account deficit, double digit and increasing unemployment rate and poverty are the main problems of Senegalese economy. It is stated that an annual real growth rate of at least 7% is required to eliminate poverty, but this rate cannot be reached. Especially the young population is in greater difficulty in terms of unemployment. Unemployment, at around 7 per cent, is increasing every year due to poor health conditions and inadequate education. Reducing inflation and stabilising the exchange rate are priorities. In Senegal, there is no restriction on capital/profit transfer or financing investments with foreign currency. However, the amount of foreign currency that individuals can take with them when travelling abroad is limited. There is no such obligation for commercial transfers. Money transfers can be made through banks. It is implementing the 'Plan for a Developing Senegal'. Senegal is pursuing a policy of fiscal consolidation, supported by the IMF, aimed at reducing the deficit and controlling debt. The second phase of the "Emerging Senegal Plan" and activity in agriculture and services are driving growth in the medium term.
It ranks second after Côte d'Ivoire in terms of industrial development among French-speaking West African countries. This success is based on the structural reforms initiated in 1994, which included measures that were a shock compared to previous economic policies. Some of these measures include the liberalisation of publicly determined prices and the removal of public incentives. The country overcame the political problems at the beginning of 2011 and entered into a rapid growth trend again in the following years, especially with the infrastructure investments and the elimination of the problems in the energy sector.
Natural Resources A large part of Senegal's territory is located in the Sahelian region. Of the available water resources, 3 per cent is used in households, 3 per cent in industry and the remaining 92 per cent in agriculture and the country has no hydroelectric capacity.
Approximately 50 per cent of the country's population lives in urban areas. Senegal is a very young country and 45.7 per cent of its population is under the age of 15. The average annual life expectancy is 67 years for men and 71 years for women. . The weekly working time in Senegal is 40 hours. There is a minimum wage and 209,1 CFAfr/hour minimum wage is applied. There is no unemployment insurance. Contrary to the situation in many less developed countries, Senegal is a country where labour rights are at the forefront. Litigation between the employee and the employer usually ends in favour of the employee.
Currency: Franc of the African Financial Community (CFA)
National Income per Capita: 1,622 USD (2021)[1]
Export Products: Fish, nuts, petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Export Partners: France 17%, India 17%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Mali 6%, Ivory
Import Products: Food and beverages, consumer goods, petroleum products.
Import Partners: France 30%, Nigeria 7%, Italy 6%, Thailand 5%, Germany 4%, USA Industry: Seafood, phosphate mining, oil refining, construction materials
Energy: Electricity production: 1.27 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity consumption: 1.181 billion kWh (1999)
Transport: Railways: 906 km, Highways: 14,576 km (1996). Waterways: 897 km, Ports: Airports in Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor: 20 (2000)
Education: Literacy rate, 39.3 per cent.
Major International Organisations: World Trade Organisation (WTO), West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, CEDEAO, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, OIC[2], ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
[1] www.ticaret.gov.tr(November-2021 Access)
[2] www.oic-oci.org
