Senegal

C

Mineral Resources

Phosphates, mined near Thiès, are Senegal’s principal exploited mineral resource. Reserves of petroleum and natural gas were discovered offshore in the late 1970s. Large deposits of iron ore exist in the country but have not been exploited because of their remoteness.

D

Environmental Issues

Population pressures in Senegal have led to the clearing of forests for additional farmland and fuelwood, as well as to increased livestock grazing on fragile rangelands. This deforestation and overgrazing, combined with drought conditions, have caused desertification in large areas of the country. In 2005, 14 percent of the country’s total land area was forested. Senegal is the world’s largest exporter of exotic birds, and there is much poaching of other animals.

The government of Senegal has initiated reforestation programs to combat desertification and has protected 11 percent (2004) of the country as parks and reserves. The Niokolo Koba National Park in southeastern Senegal, consisting of 9,000 sq km (3,000 sq mi) of forests and savanna, protects a diverse range of animal species. The park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981. The government has ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes, law of the sea, marine life conservation, ozone layer protection, ship pollution, wetlands, and whaling.

III

Population

The population of Senegal incorporates a diversity of ethnic groups. The largest of these include the Wolof (44 percent of the population), Fulani and Tukulor (24 percent), Serer (15 percent), Diola (5 percent), and Mandinka (also known as Mandingo or Malinke; 4 percent).

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A

Population Characteristics

The population of Senegal is 12,521,851 (2007 estimate). The overall population density is 65 persons per sq km (169 per sq mi), but the majority of the population is concentrated along the western coast. The population is 49 percent rural. Senegal’s population experiences a high annual growth rate of 2.6 percent (2007).

B

Principal Cities

Dakar (population, 2000, 2,079,000) is the capital and principal port and commercial center. Other major urban centers are Thiès (228,017), Kaolack (199,023), and Saint-Louis (132,425), all of which are in western Senegal.