République du Sénégal

Political Status: Former French dependency, independent since August 20, 1960; presidential system established under constitution promulgated March 7, 1963; Senegalese-Gambian Confederation of Senegambia, formed with effect from February 1, 1982, dissolved as of September 30, 1989.

Area: 75,750 sq. mi. (196,192 sq. km.).

Population: 6,896,808 (1988C); 11,939,000 (2006E).

Major Urban Center (2005E): DAKAR (2,167,000).

Official Language: French.

Monetary Unit: CFA Franc (official rate November 2, 2007: 452.96 francs = $1US). (The CFA franc, previously pegged to the French franc, is now permanently pegged to the euro at 655.957 francs = 1 euro.)

President: Abdoulaye WADE (Senegalese Democratic Party); elected in second-round balloting on March 19, 2000, and inaugurated for a seven-year term on April 1 in succession to Abdou DIOUF (Socialist Party); reelected in the first round ...