| Senegal | |
 | |
| Gambia River in Niokolo-Koba National Park | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Dakar |
|---|---|
| Area | 197 000 km² |
| Population | 12 000 000 hab. (2010) |
| Density | 60,91 inhab./km² |
| Nice | Senegalese) |
| Form of State | presidential republic |
| Official language | French |
| Other languages | Wolof, Serer, Fulani, Mandingo, Soninke, Diola |
| Cash | CFA franc (XOF) |
| Religions | islam, christianity, animism |
| Electricity | 230 V/50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 221 |
| Internet suffix | .sn |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 0 |
| Location | |
 14 ° 22 ′ 0 ″ N 14 ° 17 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
the Senegal, in long form Republic of Senegal, is a country ofWest Africa bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the far west and bordering the Mauritania north of Mali to the east, from the Guinea to the south-east, Guinea-Bissau to the south and Gambia forming an enclave in the center-west.
Understand
Geography
Weather
Story
Population
The inhabitants of Senegal are called Senegalese and are known for their hospitality or Teranga hence the name Pays de la solidarité.
Religion
Islam 90%, Christianity 9% (mainly Catholicism), animism 1%
Holidays and public holidays
| Dated | Last name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2022 | New Year's Day | |
| variable | Eid El Fitr | |
| variable | Eid El Kabir | |
| April 4, 2022 | National Holiday | |
| April 17, 2022 | Easter | |
| May 23, 2021 | Pentecost | |
| August 15, 2021 | Assumption | |
| December 25, 2021 | Christmas | |
| December 31, 2021 | December 31st |
Regions
.png/350px-Senegal_regions_(fr).png) Senegal map |
Cities
- 1 Dakar – The capital of the country, a city with a pleasant coastal climate. When you are in Dakar, ask the taxi to take you to see Gorée Island and N'gor Island.
- 2 Diourbel
- 3 Fatick
- 4 Foundiougne
- 5 Kaolack
- 6 Kolda
- 7 Louga
- 8 Matam
- 9 Popenguine
Rue de Saint-Louis. - 10 Saint Louis – The former capital of the country and of French West Africa.
- 11 Sokone
- 12 Tambacounda – The city is the gateway to the Niokolo-Koba National Park
- 13 Thies – its artisanal village, with lots of souvenirs to buy, made inexpensively in front of your eyes! A little lower than the craft village, have a good evening at the Palace of the Arts. Every evening a local group plays there as well as the group known throughout Senegal: Waflash.
- 14 Touba
- 15 Ziguinchor – The capital of the South, of Casamance.
Other destinations
- The Little Coast
- the Sine-Saloum
- Pink Lake
Loading salt into the canoe. - The Lompoul desert
- 1 Niokolo-Koba National Park
To go
Formalities
- Senegal
- Exemption from Visa
By plane
It is necessary to count 5 h 30 minutes of flight approximately from ParisThere are other direct flights from other cities in France: from Brest, Nantes, LyonOther companies serving Senegal: Brussels Airlines, TAP, Alitalia, Iberia, Royal Air Maroc
On a boat
The CVD (Dakar Sailing Club) allows sailors to find some accommodations on their arrival.
By train
Only link to reach Dakar by train: the Bamako-Dakar line. To count 30 h of travel in an uncomfortable aged train.
By bus
By car
It is now possible to reach Senegal by car and by road from Paris ! To see Paris to Dakar by road.
Access by land borders:
- Mauritania by Rosso where the Diama dam near Saint Louis.
- Mali by Kidira/Diboli.
- Gambia many border posts.
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea
However, this mode of transport has become dangerous due to the proliferation of fundamentalist armed groups in the Sahara, especially in the desert regions of Mauritania and Mali.
Circulate
On a boat
The boat Aline Sitoe Diatta connects Dakar To Ziguinchor twice a week Dakar - Ziguinchor Departures every Tuesday and Friday, Boarding: from 14 h 30 - 17 h 30Ziguinchor - Dakar Departures every Thursday and Sunday, Boarding: from 11 h 30 - 13 h
By train
There is a train that connects once a week Dakar To Tambacounda.
By bus
The city of Dakar has a bus company "Dakar Dem Dikk" (means Dakar comes and goes) which allows you to travel throughout the city.
There are also a large number of small buses with about fifteen seats (Ndiaga Ndiaye and fast coaches) which allow you to travel throughout Senegal at a lower cost. Safety on board is not necessarily the first priority, but the change of scenery will be total. To test if you have the soul of an adventurer.
By car
Renting a car is not necessarily the best, think rather of bush taxis, even on long distance, which are inexpensive.For long trips like Dakar / Ziguinchor you have to get to the bus station very early, 4 h In the morning, taxis leave when they are full. If you want to feel less cramped buy an extra seat (considering the price it won't break the bank).
Sometimes you will find individuals looking to carpool. This can be advantageous in terms of comfort, and above all it allows you to ask to stop when you want to get some fresh air ... or whatever. But be careful, because given the state of the roads your driver will have to be confirmed. , otherwise you risk many punctures. Do not hesitate to ask for help the Senegalese are known for their courtesy and their kindness.
Advice
Emergency police number: 17
Fire brigade number: 18
Senmap applications, map of Senegal with hospitals, pharmacy, etc. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sn.orange.mobile.senmap
To speak
The official language is French (administrations, schools, etc.), but several languages exist, the most widely spoken of which is WolofOutside Dakar and urban centers it is sometimes difficult to find someone who speaks French. Senegal uses the international system (SI) the temperature is announced in degrees and the unit of measurement is the meter. The time format is 24 h, but orally we can say 4 h in the morning or 9 h evening.
- French, official. Used by administration.
- Wolof, spoken throughout the country. Used to communicate every day in the markets and between different ethnicities.
- Serious, by the Serer ethnic group (region of Sine-Saloum, Mbour and Kaolack.
- Peul, by the Peul and Toucouleur ethnic group (North).
- Diola, (South)
- Soninke, (East)
- Toucouleur (North)
- It is possible to meet English and Portuguese speakers (especially Cape Verdeans)
To buy
Cash
Countries using the CFA franc: 
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The official currency of the countries forming the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) is the CFA franc. The issuing institution is the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).
The CFA franc is written for short in FCFA or F CFA, and its ISO code is XOF. The CFA franc exchange rate was 1 XOF = 0,01 FRF which gives a fixed parity with the euro of 1 € = 655,957 XOF but banks and exchange bureaus may charge a commission on the transaction.
On each coin and on the front of the banknotes is the BCEAO logo, a stylized sawfish. This represents a bronze figurine formerly used by the Akan to weigh gold.
The member countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community use another CFA franc whose code is XAF.
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Purchase
For the purchase only one rule: the bargaining which here is a game.
If you want to do your weekly market, there is Soumbédioune market, Kermel market (etc. located in Dakar) where you can buy good juicy fruits, good fragrant rice without spending your time haggling. In Soumbédioune, buy freshly caught fish and enjoy its exquisite flavors with dishes such as Maafe, Ceebu jën ... In general, haggling does not apply to food products but rather when buying clothes, paintings and wooden statuettes and also for electronic products (TV ...)
Eat
Typical dishes are thiéboudieune (rice with fish), mafé and yassa (Yassa Poulet or Yassa Poisson) a dish combining chicken or fish and rice, a little lemon and onions. It is advisable to avoid salads and other fruits and vegetables that are already peeled. Fast food is everywhere and most of it delivers to home at low prices. The "tangana" small old-fashioned fast food. Restaurants such as Les Ambassades, Sayonnara, La Gondole, Al Mahdi and many others. Do not miss the Maad these fruits are delicious and can only be found in Africa.
Drinks
There are two local and typical beers to try, the Gazelle (quite light) and the Flag (more amber). Coca cola is available in all shops. Do not buy water bottles other than Kirène, Evian, Badoit, Contrex. Remember to have fresh water with you in summer, especially towards the Tambacounda region where it can be up to 39 ° C. There are also typical fruit juices, such as bissap (hibiscus) juice, and other tamarind juices , ginger, guava, mango, etc. It is also possible to find palm wine, "poor man's alcohol", very artisanal.
The most typical fruit juice comes from the emblematic tree of the country: the Baobab. It's about bouy juice. Strange but good.Also the local fruit juices, like the Bissap from sorrel flowers which has a high content of Vitamin C, Tamarind juice, ditakh , etc. That said, avoid local juices sold on the sly in the streets, as they are not subject to strict and regular hygiene checks.
Even if the Islam practiced in Senegal is rather liberal, the ban on alcohol is quite widely respected. Apart from beer, you will only find it in tourist places. You won't shock a Senegalese if you consume alcohol, but some restraint is desirable nonetheless.
Housing
TO Touba, Dakar, Saint Louis, or at the popular seaside resort of Mbour-Saly, the choice of hotels is rather plethora, tourist guides on the Internet will inform you about the best tourist establishments. Tourists have the choice between the typical luxury hotel, or the quaint traditional inns. In Saly, the most popular seaside resort in Senegal, tourists often stay in small residences grouped into hotel complexes.
Several Holiday renting person-to-person are available. Choose and contact the owner for the reservation.
This application will allow you to find a hotel in Senegal:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.senegal.hotels.free.discount.dakar.booking
To learn
Education in Senegal is one of the most advanced on the continent. Senegal can pride itself on having a quality education with equivalent diplomas from the most prestigious foreign universities both in France and the United States. This also allows exchanges with students who come to study in Senegal in the context of '' specific studies on the country or Senegalese students who go abroad in order to diversify their knowledge in the context of research The population being very young, the demand for training is very high, not to mention the youth of other poorer African countries who is trying to finish his studies in Dakar.Despite a similar success rate for the baccalaureate in 2000 (37.67%) and in 2011 (38.4%), the number of baccalaureate graduates rose in the interval from 9,000 to 30 000. And naturally, 80% of these graduates sought to enroll in the faculty, "object of social promotion and pride, for which families and students are ready to make enormous sacrifices", explains the researcher. eur Olivier Provini, who works on African university reforms. New public universities have been created in Bambey, Thiès and Ziguinchor and the salaries of professors have been revised upwards under the presidency of Abdoulaye Wade. This made it possible to slow down the brain drain from universities and encouraged the return of some who were in Europe, the United States and elsewhere in Africa. Senegal is a member of the organization of La Francophonie and has become an observer country in within the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). Senegal plans to become a full member of the CPLP while Portuguese is spoken by only a very small part of the population.
To work
The guaranteed minimum interprofessional wage (SMIG) is 209.10 FCFA per hour. For most collective agreements, the monthly salary in the first category is around 47 700 XOF for 173 h 33 of work per month.
- The guaranteed minimum agricultural wage (SMAG) for workers in agricultural enterprises and the like is CFAF 179.91 per hour;
- Supplement for overtime: the legal weekly working time is set at 40 h . Hours worked beyond the legal working time give rise to an increase set as follows:
- 15% from the 41st to the 48th hour;
- 40% beyond the 48th hour;
- 60% for night hours (22 h - 5 h morning) and public holidays;
- 100% for the night of the holiday.
- For certain sectors of activity (agriculture, commerce, hotels) or professions (drivers, guards, housekeepers), an equivalence system makes it possible to lengthen the working time without any increase in salary.
- Categorical salaries: the minimum gross remuneration is defined by category in professional collective agreements.
The unemployment rate is very high (40% of the population) due to the large number of informal, casual, or extremely precarious jobs.
Examples of salaries: A maid in Dakar: 30 000 XOF / month A maid in the region: 15 000 XOF / month A telephone operator: 200 000 XOF / month A junior IT engineer: 350 000 XOF / month One policeman at the bottom of the ladder: less than 200 000 XOF / month
Communicate
Security
 | Emergency telephone number: Police :17 Ambulance:15 Firefighter :18 |
Senegal is a calm and safe country, but certain points under strong Western pressure are developing sometimes aggressive behavior. These include certain areas of the airport, the Dakar pier, the pink lake, or M'Bour. Indeed, these areas are often the meeting point for many scammers, thieves, etc. wanting to take advantage of the presence of often naive tourists. They do not hesitate to offer them rudimentary services in exchange for a little money, or to serve as their guide. The authorities and the police in particular are, however, in the process of eradicating the phenomenon.
Beware of some false marabout and charlatan, a real marabout will never ask you for money for his services but it is more polite to give a little as a thank you
In the south, Casamance can be dangerous, take precautions by being accompanied by a guide.The rest of the country is a haven of calm and serenity, where you can walk alone in the middle of the night without shivering.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Health
Running water is not suitable for drinking for organisms that are not used to it. After a period of adaptation of a few weeks and a good rifle tourist, it presents less danger and can be drunk at the risk of dysentery from time to time. Filtering will avoid parasites and worms. It is best to drink bottled water such as Evian, Kirene, etc. Food is usually very cooked and safe, unless stored and refilled. Be careful with vegetables. Always wash in cold water with a few drops of bleach. Health infrastructure is extremely uneven according to the budget. The "first prize" is traditional medicine, practiced by marabouts and other "wise men", based on medicinal herbs, mysticism and verses from the Koran. Above, the public hospital offers basic services by quality staff at low prices on condition that they accept the wait and overcrowding. For more delicate or cumbersome things, private medicine can offer mid-range, high-end services (scanners, etc.). Cosmetic surgery is not available. Pharmacies can be found everywhere and can order most drugs within a reasonable time. Note the sale of generic drugs in hospital presentation (without packaging) at more than competitive prices. It sometimes happens that certain products are difficult to find depending on international supply and demand, because everything is imported.Note that street vendors of drugs are to avoid their drugs being acquired illegally.
Respect
Ramadan date
Majority of Muslims insist on local sighting of the crescent moon to mark the start of Ramadan, but others insist on calculating the new moon or declaring it saudi to determine the start of the month. Since the first crescent after the new moon is not visible everywhere at the same time, the start and end dates of the month depend on what is visible in each location. Therefore, the dates vary from country to country, but usually only one day. |
When you arrive in a place remember to greet and if you are lost, ask for directions, the locals will gladly help you.
Senegal being more than 95% a Muslim country, the traveler will avoid certain practices, such as, for example for women, topless on public beaches.
It's also worth noting that not all Senegalese like to be photographed, so be careful when photographing if you don't want to sound like a disrespectful person. It is best to ask permission from the people you want to photograph.
It should be added that in Senegal, followers of naturism are not tolerated so no exhibition. Homosexual intercourse is considered an unnatural act; homosexuals risk a fine and incarceration.
