Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 196,190 sq km
land area: 192,000 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries: total 2,640 km, The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline: 531 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; Senegal and Guinea-Bissau signed an agreement resolving their maritime boundary in 1993; boundary with Mauritania

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind

Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 30%
forest and woodland: 31%
other: 12%

Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping

Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave

NOTE: The information regarding Senegal on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Senegal Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Senegal Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.