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Senegal Facts & Worksheets

Senegal is a country that is known as the “Gateway to Western Africa”.

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Senegal is a country that is known as the “Gateway to Western Africa”.

See the fact file below for more information on the Senegal or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Senegal worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

INTRODUCTION

  • Senegal is officially known as the Republic of Senegal.
  • Senegal is a country that can be found in West Africa, and is considered to be the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, also known as Afro-Eurasia.
  • Senegal is bordered to the north by Mauritania, to the east by Mali, to the southeast by Guinea, and to the southwest by Guinea-Bissau.
  • Dakar is considered as the economic and political capital of Senegal.
  • The flag of Senegal is composed of three (3) vertical stripes (green, yellow, and red) with a five-pointed green star in the center.
  • Senegal is considered a heavily indebted poor country with a relatively low Human Development Index.
  • Senegal is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.

ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

  • Senegal is divided into 14 regions, each governed by a Conseil Régional.
  • These 14 regions are Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kédougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sédhiou, Tambacounda, Thiès, and Ziguinchor.
  • Each region is has its own regional capital that has the same name as the region.
  • The 14 regions of Senegal are further subdivided into 45 departments and 103 arrondissements.

POLITICS

  • Senegal has a republic form of government but with presidency, and is a secular state as stated in its constitution.
  • The president of Senegal gets elected every five (5) years.
  • The Armed Forces of Senegal consists of about 20,000 personnel from different fields (army, air force, and navy), and they receive most of their training and equipment from France and the United States.

GEOGRAPHY

  • The landscape of Senegal consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast.
  • There are four (4) terrestrial ecoregions in Senegal: the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, the Sahelian Acacia savanna, the West Sudanian savanna, and the Guinean mangroves.
  • Senegal has a tropical climate with heat throughout the year and some well-defined dry and humid seasons due to the northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds.

BIODIVERSITY

  • The northern half of Senegal consists of a mix of shrub and tree steppes and shrub and tree savannas.
  • Thorn bushes and baobab and acacia trees, including gum arabic trees, are also common to this area.
  • In the southwest part of Senegal, there are forests and mangrove swamps, mangrove trees, oil palms, teak trees, and silk cotton trees.
  • In the eastern part of Senegal can be found the Niokolo Koba National Park wherein you can see elephants, antelopes, lions, panthers, cheetahs, and jackals.
  • Reptiles are common in Senegal including pythons and cobras, and other venomous snakes.
  • In 1981, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary was announced as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This bird sanctuary has more than a million birds including the African spoonbill, the purple heron, the white pelican, and the cormorant.

ECONOMY

  • The economy of Senegal is dependent on mining, construction, tourism, fishing, and agriculture.
  • The economy of Senegal gains most of its foreign exchange from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism, and services.
  • Senegal is considered to have one of the best developed tourist industries in Africa.
  • The main industries in Senegal include food processing, mining, cement, artificial fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, refining imported petroleum, and tourism.
  • Main exports include fish, chemicals, cotton, fabrics, groundnuts, and calcium phosphate.
  • The primary food crops grown in Senegal include millet, rice, corn, and sorghum.
  • Some important cash crops of Senegal include peanuts, sugarcane, and cotton.

CULTURE

  • French is considered to be the official language in Senegal.
  • Most people also speak their own ethnic language. For example, in Dakar, they use Wolof which is considered to be their lingua franca.
  • The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group.
  • Some other ethnic groups in Senegal include the Fula, Toucouleur, Serer, Jola, Mandinka, Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, and the Bassari.
  • Senegal is known for its West African tradition of storytelling, which is commonly done by griots.
  • Senegalese play many sports and they consider wrestling and football as the most popular sports in the country.
  • Senegal is known across Africa for its musical heritage, and this is due to the popularity of mbalax (or Mbalakh), which is a national popular type of dance music in Senegal.

Senegal Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Senegal across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Senegal worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Senegal which is a country that is known as the “Gateway to Western Africa”.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Senegal Facts
  • Learn More!
  • Color Time!
  • Name Them
  • Hunting Game
  • Wrestle-mania
  • Fly High, Soar High
  • Unjumble Jumble
  • Name the Spots
  • Let the Letters Speak
  • Now Is the Time!

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Link will appear as Senegal Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 19, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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