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Description Senegal by rbd.me
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The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. He was reelected in February 2007 and has amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition, part of the President's increasingly autocratic governing style. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation.
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Location
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than South Dakota
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Natural resources Senegal
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fish, phosphates, iron ore
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Population Senegal
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14,086,103 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Senegal
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Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
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Languages
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French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
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Education Senegal expenditures
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5% of GDP (2006)
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Government Senegal type
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republic
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Independence
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4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
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Senegal Economy - overview
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$22.38 billion (2009 est.)
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Investment Senegal
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24% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Senegal
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agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
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Airports Senegal
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19 (2009)
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