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Senegal: Countries
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Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
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Mining output in Senegal is primarily calcium phosphates. In 1994 phosphate and phosphate products accounted for 19 percent of total merchandise export earnings, producing US$162 million in export revenue. While Europe has traditionally been the major importer of Senegalese phosphates, the U.S. State Department Country Commercial Guide notes that new markets in Asia and Africa have recently developed. Despite its importance as an exporting industry... phosphates have not played a large role domestically. Phosphate mining accounts for less than 2 percent of Senegal's GDP. The industry provides important jobs, but only about 2,000 are available.
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Especially notable about this result was the appearance of Patrick Vieira, widely considered to be the best player Senegal had ever produced, playing for the opposition; this was due to France being a former colonial power in the country. Senegal went on to make the quarterfinals, only the second African team to do so (the first being Cameroon in 1990 - interestingly, in 1990, Cameroon ... defeated the defending champions (Argentina) 1-0 in the tournament's opening match). In the group, after defeating France, they drew with Denmark and Uruguay, and beat Sweden in extra time in Round 2, before losing to Turkey in the quarter finals.
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Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, towered over the country's political life until his voluntary retirement in 1981. He replaced multiparty democracy with an authoritarian regime. An acclaimed poet, Senghor sought to become a “black-skinned Frenchman,” a quest he ultimately discovered to be impossible. An advocate of “African socialism,” Senghor increased government involvement in the economy through a series of four-year plans.
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Senegal, situated in West Africa, was among the countries that pioneered democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa. It gained independence in 1960 and for a long time was highly visible in the international arena. It has maintained a relatively stable political and social environment, but for the past several years, has been confronted by a rebellion in the southern part of the country (Casamance). Until 1994, Senegal's economic performance was mediocre and the impact of the adjustment programs of the 1980s was limited by the overvalued CFA Franc. The devaluation of the CFA Franc in 1994, as well as vigorous structural reform programs, have stimulated economic growth which has averaged about 5.3 percent during 1996-1998.
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Communications: The international dialling code for Senegal is +221. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0027 for South Africa). No city codes are required. The telephone system is one of the most developed in Africa and there are numerous telephone centres for making both local and international calls. Two operators provide cell phone coverage.
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