Senegal

After winning independence from France in 1960, Senegal entered four decades of socialist rule. In 1982 Senegal and The Gambia, which is virtually an enclave of its larger neighbor, joined forces as Senegambia but broke apart seven years later. Despite some dissatisfaction from separatists, the Republic of Senegal is a stable democracy, which takes an active role in international peacekeeping. Since 1994, when the government made a strong commitment to economic reform, Senegal has experienced steady growth. The economy has become more diversified through industries that include agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials, and ship construction and repair.

More resources are now being directed toward government programs as a result of Senegal's participation in the Highly Indebted Poor Countries debt relief program that relieved the country of two-thirds of its debt burden. Senegal's only natural resources are fish, phosphates, and iron ore. Almost 13 percent of the land area is arable, and 77 percent of Senegalese are engaged in the agricultural sector, much of it at the subsistence level.

With a per capita income of $1,700, Senegal is ranked 192 of 232 countries in world incomes. Unemployment is high at 48 percent, and at least 40 percent of the unemployed are urban youth. Some 54 percent of the population lives in poverty, and almost a fourth of Senegalese are undernourished. Income is unevenly distributed, with the most affluent 10 percent of the population holding over a third of the country's wealth. The poorest 10 percent of Senegalese share 2.6 percent of all resources. The United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Reports rank Senegal 157th in quality-of-life issues.

The westernmost country in Africa, Senegal borders on the North Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the Atlantic coastline of 531 kilometers, Senegal has 4,190 square kilometers of inland water resources. Senegal shares land borders with The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. The terrain of Senegal is mostly low rolling plains that rise to foothills in the southeast section of the country. Elevations range from sea level to 581 meters at [Page 1585]an unnamed point near Nepen Diakha. The tropical climate is generally hot and humid, with a distinct rainy season accompanied by strong southeast winds from May to November. The five-month dry season that follows is marked by the harmattan, a hot, dry, dust-laden wind that is capable of causing great ecological damage. Further ecological damage occurs during the rainy season when the lowlands are prone to flooding. Senegal is subject to periodic, environmentally damaging droughts.

Senegal's population of 11,987,121 is susceptible to environmental health hazards. Some 28 percent of the people lack sustained access to safe drinking water, and 48 percent lack access to improved sanitation. Senegalese face a very high risk of contracting food and waterborne diseases that include bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, the water contact disease schistosomiasis, and the respiratory disease meningococcal meningitis. In some areas, the people are also at very high risk for contracting vectorborne diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever.

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