Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in continental Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal is bordered by Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal nearly surroundsThe Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar.
Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a rainy season. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 18 million.0 The state is a unitarypresidential republic; since the country's foundation in 1960, it has been recognized as one of the most stable countries on the African continent. On the 2023 V-Dem Democracy Indices, Senegal is ranked 52nd in electoral democracy worldwide and 4th in electoral democracy in Africa.
The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule. Because of this history, French used to be the official language and was understood by only a minority of the population.. The official language was changed to Arabic in 2024. Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal. Wolof is the most widely spoken one, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language, acting as Senegal's lingua franca alongside French. Like other African nations, the country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof, Fula, and Serer people. Senegalese people are predominantly Muslim.
Image 1The Serer of the Senegambia's representation of the universe. The three worlds : the invisible world, the terrestrial world and the nocturnal world.
Credit: Llanta. Lithographer, Abbot P. David Boilat, author of text in his book Esquisses sénégalaises (1853). Source: cote : Gallica, bnf.fr - Réserve DT 549.2 B 67 M Atlas - planche n °5 - Notice n° : FRBNF38495418 - (Illustrations de Esquisses sénégalaises). Uploader to Wiki Commons Patricia.fidi More about Ndaté Yalla Mbodj...
Image 4The Senegambian stone circles (Wassu section) believed by archaeologists and historians to be built by the Serer people of the Senegambia region. The Senegambia stone circles are the largest concentration of stone circles seen anywhere in the world according to UNESCO. They are sacred burial grounds and a place of ritual offerings (kuur in Serer).
Image 5The rare of the Third Millennium Gate monument in Médina, Dakar, Senegal. On the left is the Seydou Nourou Tall mosque — named after Seydou Nourou Tall (1862 - 1980) — son of El Hadj Umar Tall. Pierre Atepa Goudiaby was the architect of the Millennium Gate.
Image 7The flag of Senegal (French: le drapeau du Sénégal) is a tricolour consisting of three vertical green, yellow and red bands charged with a five-pointed green star at the centre. Adopted in 1960 to replace the flag of the Mali Federation, it has been the flag of the Republic of Senegal since the country gained independence that year. The present and previous flags were inspired by French Tricolour, which flew over Senegal until 1960.
Image 9The African Renaissance Monument (French: Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine) is a 49 meter tall bronze statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar, Senegal. Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb, the statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a company from North Korea. Site preparation on top of the 100-meter high hill began in 2006, and construction of the bronze statue began 3 April 2008. Originally scheduled for completion in December 2009, delays stretched into early 2010, and the formal dedication occurred on 4 April 2010, Senegal's "National Day", commemorating the 50th anniversary of the country's independence from France. It is the tallest statue in Africa.
Image 10The star Yoonir, symbol of the Universe in Serer religion and Cosmogony. The Serer people are one of the main ethnic groups of Senegal, and are also found in The Gambia and Mauritania. The peak of the star (top point) represents their Supreme Deity (Roog). The other four points represent the cardinal points of the Universe. The crossing of the lines ("bottom left" and "top right", and "top left" and "bottom right") pinpoints the axis of the Universe that all energies pass. The top point is "the point of departure and conclusion, the origin and the end". Among the Serers who cannot read or write the Latin alphabet, it is very common for them to sign official documents with the star of Yoonir, as the star also represents "good fortune and destiny". Yoonir also represents the Serer people and their precolonial Kingdom of Sine.
Although he may only have come to the attention of white audiences when he started recording with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and Neneh Cherry in the 1980s, N'Dour was a star in his native Dakar from the age of 12. Fusing traditional Senegalese pop or mbalax, with his own distinctive style, the Grammy-winning singer has become a beacon for West African musical culture - which embraces musicians like fellow Senegalese Baaba Maal or Malian guitarist Afel Bocoum.
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— On the subject of African pride and its gift to the world including people like Youssou N'Dour, Jonathan Brown and Jerome Taylor from The Independent reports., —The Independent : Pride of a continent: Africa's gifts to the world (21 September 2006). By Jonathan Brown and Jerome Taylor [1] (Retrieved 13 July 2019)
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Faidherbe Bridge (French: Pont Faidherbe) is a road bridge over the Senegal River which links the island of the city of Saint-Louis in Senegal to the African mainland. The metal bridge is 507.35 m (1,664.5 ft) long and 10.5 m (34 ft) wide, weighing 1,500 t (1,500 long tons; 1,700 short tons). It has eight spans, of which the longest five are 78.26 m (256.8 ft).
Until the 19th century, access to the island was made through boats. After the introduction of a ferry that could transport 150 passengers, Louis Faidherbe quickly saw that the system was clearly overrun and decided to construct the first bridge over the Sénégal River. The governor of Senegal, Henri de Lamothe decided to take a loan worth five million gold francs to construct a new metallic bridge in Saint-Louis. After the construction company was selected, they all decided to construct a new metallic bridge with a section capable of turning 90 degrees to allow the passage of ships. The bridge was opened on July 14, 1897. In the 2000s, a US$27 million rehabilitation plan has been inaugurated. (Full article...)
Linguere Ndoye Demba Joos Fadiou, also known as Ndoye Demba in Senegambian dynastic history, was a Serer princess from the Kingdom of Sine (now part of present-day Senegal), from the later half of the 14th century to the 15th century. The royal title – "Lingeer" means Queen or Royal Princess. She was given in marriage to the Brak of Waalo – Caaka Mbaar Mbooj (variation : Brac Thiaka Mbar). The surname Mbooj is the English spelling in the Gambia, variation include Mboge. In French speaking Senegal, it is spelt Mbodj. Differences in spelling is due to the colonial past of the Gambia and Senegal. France colonized Senegal, whilst Britain colonized the Gambia, thus the division of the two countries. Caaka Mbaar was the second king of Waalo from the Mbooj patrilineage, who ruled in the second half of the 14th century, around 1367. Brak was the title of the kings of Waalo. Lingeer Ndoye Demba was the founder of the Serer Joos Maternal Dynasty (variations : Dyoss, Diouss-Fahou, Dious-Fadiou, Dieuss, Dihosou, also "Diouss" – the French spelling in Senegal) of Waalo. In the Wolof Kingdom of Waalo, Lingeer Ndoye Demba is considered the matriarch of the Joosmaternal clan. In the Serer Kingdom of Sine, it is her grandmother Lingeer Fatim Beye (variations : Fa-tim Beye or Fatimata Beye) who is considered to be the matriarch of this maternal dynasty. In the Serer language, the word "Fa-tim" means "the maternal clan of ... ". The Serer surname Beye (var : Bèye) is also one of the many Serer maternal clans. (Full article...)
Image 4« Plan de l'isle de Gorée avec ses deux forts et le combat que nous avons rendu le premier du mois de novembre 1677 » (from History of Senegal)
Image 5Development of life expectancy (from Senegal)
Image 6The Portuguese Empire was the first European power to colonize Senegal, beginning with the arrival of Dinis Dias in 1444 at Gorée Island and ending in 1888, when the Portuguese gave Ziguinchor to the French. (from Senegal)
Image 38Arrival of Blaise Diagne, Deputy for Senegal, High Commissioner of the Government for the recruitment of black troops in Dakar in March 1918 (from History of Senegal)
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