18 | The Lion King
POPULATION
Senegal has a population of
13 million people. Islam is the
predominant religion in the
country. Islam is practiced
by approximately 94% of the
country’s population;
The Christian community, at
5% of the population, includes
Roman Catholics and diverse
protestant denominations. There
is also a 1% population who
maintain animism in their beliefs,
particularly in the south-eastern
region of the country. Many Serer
people follow the Serer religion.
Senegal is a land of traditions,
and its people, although
heterogenous, share a strong
sense of national identity deeply
rooted in Thiossane; that means
“history, tradition, and culture”.
Senegal has a wide variety of
ethnic groups and, as in most
West African countries, several
languages are widely spoken.
The Wolof are the largest single
ethnic group in Senegal at 43%;
the Fula and Toucouleur (also
known as Halpulaar’en, (literally
“Pulaar-speakers”) (24%) are the
second biggest group, followed
by the Serer (14.7%), then others
such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%),
Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke,
Bassari and many smaller ethnic
communities (9%).
French is the official language,
used regularly by a minority
of Senegalese educated in a
system styled upon the colonial-
era schools of French origin
(Koranic schools are even more
popular, but Arabic is not widely
spoken outside of this context of
recitation).
Most people also speak their
own ethnic language while,
especially in Dakar, Wolof is the
lingua franca.
Despite this cultural
heterogeneity, there are no inter-
ethnic conflicts.
Senegal is known worldwide
as the land of ‘Teranga’ which
means hospitality.
The picture of Senegal would not
be complete if we do not speak
of elegance and legendary
beauty of its women, which is
reassuring, though sometimes
disorienting to people from
abroad.
The basic food is rice cooked with
a spicy sauce and vegetables.
The national dish is chep-bu-
jen, the Wolof word for rice
with fish. Cooked in a tomato
sauce with boiled fish and a few
vegetables (carrots, cabbage,
and green peppers), chep-bu-
jen is originally from the city of
Saint-Louis.
ECONOMY
Senegal has the fourth largest
economy in the sub-region of
West Africa after Nigeria, Côte
d’Ivoire and Ghana. It is however
one of the Least Developed
Countries ( LDCs ). Its main
trading partners are France,
India and Italy.
Compared to other African
countries, Senegal is very
poor in natural resources. Its
main revenue comes from
fishing and tourism. But given
its geographical location and
political stability, Senegal is one
of the most industrialized African
countries with the presence of
multinationals mostly of French
origin and to a lesser extent
American.
The primary sector, agriculture
(18% of GDP, 50% of the
A Wooden Boat
abandoned on the shore of
Lac Rose in Senegal. Wooden boats, such
as this one, are used to drag harvested salt
from this very saline lake to the shore.
Country Focus
