Occupying the Sahelian area of the tropical zone in a wide coastal strip (500 km
along the Atlantic Ocean), Senegal covers some 196,192 km2
of gently
undulating land. The climate is subtropical, with two seasons: the dry season
lasting 9 months, from September to July, and the wet season from July to
September.
The Senegalese GNP (Gross National Product) of $570 per capita is above
average for sub-Saharan Africa ($490). However, the economy is fragile and
natural resources are limited. Services represent 60% of the GNP, and the rest is
divided among agriculture and industry (World Bank 1996).
In 1995, the total population of Senegal rose above 8,300,000 inhabitants. The
urbanisation rate stands at 40%. Dakar represents half of the urban population of
the region, and more than 20% of the total population. The other main cities are
much smaller (Thiès: pop. 231,000; Kaolack: pop. 200000; St. Louis: pop.
160,000).