Senegal is a country in Western Africa. With the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Senegal has Guinea-Bissau to the south, Guinea to the southeast, Mali to the east, and Mauritania to the north. The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal in the middle of the western coast.

History

• Independence
  4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
• National holiday
  Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Independent from France in 1960, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.

• Constitution : a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind; Natural hazards : lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts.

Terrain

Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

• Highest point : unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m