SENEGAL

The Republic of Senegal is a country located in western Africa, south of the Senegal River. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south.

The whole country covers a total area of 196,190 square km.

The population counts more than 10-milliion inhabitants. The density is 52 inhabitants per square km.

The capital city is Dakar which counts more than 2-million citizens.

Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint Louis, Tambacounda, Thiès, Ziguinchor.

"Yoff" International Airport - Dakar and Yundum International Airport - Banjul.

The first trading contacts of the Europeans with this country date back to the beginning of the XVI century. The first to come were the Portuguese, followed by English, French and Dutch traders. Saint-Luis was conquered by the French in 1659. Senegal obtained the independence only in 1960 under the presidency of Léopold Senghor. In 1980 Senghor stepped down as president and his place was taken by Abdou Diouf. In 1989, a minor incident on the Senegal-Mauritania border led to serious riots in both countries in which many people died. Both countries deported thousands of the other's nationals, killing hundreds in the process, the border was closed and diplomatic relations were broken off until April 1992. Even inside the country the situation was not peaceful; in the early 1990s, there were serious clashes in the Casamance region between the army and separatist rebels; such clashes occurred again in 1993 till a cease-fire was declared in July that year, and in the following months peace, tourists and foreign currency returned to Casamance. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, things were still far from peaceful. Poverty and devaluation resulted in thousands of people demonstrating on the streets. The government responded to this by ordering high-profile army patrols onto the streets and at the same time the popular opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade was arrested and accused of conspiracy. A period of stability followed and Wade was released in May 1994. The March 2000 presidential elections were a close contest between President Abdou Diouf and Abdoulaye Wade. Wade won the elections and is now the new president of Senegal. Some riots occurred during the last months in the area of Northern Casamance, near the border with Ghana. Today Senegal is a developing country and tourism industry is getting stronger.

The 4th of April (1960, Independence Day).

Presidential Republic.

French is the official language, but there are six other national languages: the Wolof, the most widespread, the Pulaar, the Mandinka, the Sereer, the Soninke and the Diola.

94% of the Senegal inhabitants are Muslim (Sunnite), the Christian community is at 5% while a tiny minority (1%) practice animism. Many Senegalese are still bound to traditional religious forms.

The time zone is one hour behind Italy; when in Italy the Daylight Saving Time is in use, the difference is 2 hours.

A passport with at least 6-month remaining validity is required. No entry visa is necessary.
It is compulsory to declare in writing both at the arrival and at the departure the presence of any financial means, whose total amount is higher than 500,000 CFA francs. At the departure you are requested to present the currency declaration issued on arrival or the currency purchase receipt issued by an authorized Credit Institution during your staying in Senegal. Some travellers leaving Senegal underwent the seizure of amounts of money for which, at the arrival, the foreseen declaration at the Customs Office had not been made.

The country's monetary unit is the CFA franc.

CHECK THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE

The main international credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants.

No vaccination is required but a high incidence of infectious diseases has been registered; meningitis and malaria are endemic diseases. The incidence of Aids is very high throughout the whole country. People coming from other African countries might be required to present the certificate demonstrating the execution of the vaccination against the yellow fever. The local health structures are not completely reliable. It is therefore advisable before leaving to draw an international insurance contract which foresees, together with the coverage of the medical expenses, a possible emergency repatriation.

Senegal is located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. Temperatures are often high with scarce rainfalls above all in the Northern region of the country. The suggested period to visit Senegal is from November to March, when the climate is fresh and dry in spite the country is hit by dusty harmattan winds coming from Sahara.

CHECK THE WEATHER FORECASTS IN REAL TIME

The voltage is 110/240V. It is advisable to bring with you an universal adaptor.

Calling Italy from Senegal is rather simple: dial 0039, then the Italian area code - including zero for fixed net numbers - and the number you wish to call (for example: to call a fixed net telephone number in Milan just dial 0039 02 48 .... ; to call a mobile phone number just dial 0039 335 31...).
To call Senegal from Italy, dial the international code 00221, followed by the number you wish to call. The GSM network is active in the main cities but it is advisable to get informed about costs and coverage before departure.

Internet points are available in the big hotels where it is possible to check and send e-mails.

There are no restrictions to take pictures or make amateur videos for private use. Remember anyway that this is a Muslim country: it is advisable to politely ask local people for their permission before taking pictures of them, in particular for women.

You will have a lot to choose among the local handicrafts: wood masks and handworks, music instruments, hand-woven fabrics with bright colours and lively patterns, gold and silver ethnical jewels. In Dakar the market of Sandaga in the city centre is not to be missed. It is a place rich in traditional shops. But if you are looking for something that really "belongs" to the local inhabitants, then go and visit the stalls of HLM (the pronunciation is ascelem). It is a real traditional African market where you can find wonderful and cheap fabrics. Being victims of bag-snatching is always possible, you just have to be extremely careful. Thiès is famous for the local fabric of tapestries, which can be easily visited. The tapestries are all made following paintings made by Senegalese artists and they can also cost thousands of dollars: they could be a nice souvenir for your house.

The cuisine of Senegal boasts one of the best cooking traditions of Western Africa. The national dish is the "Thiebudieun", rice with fish served with vegetables, and the "Yassa", a single dish made with rice, thyme chicken, lime, onions and vegetables. Most of the dishes are based on fresh fish and rice. The Muslim religion forbids eating pork. Poultry is therefore the mostly used kind of meat. This country is one of the first world producers of peanuts, which are widely used while cooking. The "mafe" is stewed beef cooked with a peanut sauce. Alcohol consumption is limited while mint tea is drunk everywhere.

Dancing and singing is something natural for any Senegalese. The inhabitants of this country have rhythm in their blood and when they want to have fun a djembé is always present. The djembé is a drum shaped like a large goblet, it is made of wood and has an open bottom. The drum is covered by a goat skin membrane which is fixed and pulled by means of ropes and tie-rods. It is played with the hands keeping the drum shell between the legs. Other percussion instruments are the sabar, which is a group of 5 or 7 drums with different sounds and dimensions, which are played with one hand and a small stick, and the tama, a very small drum shaped like a sandglass, which is played with a bent wooden stick with a small ball at its end. In the past it was used to communicate from one village to the other. Nowadays the percussion leader is Youssou Ndour, who developed that kind of traditional music known as mbalax. The singer has always committed himself in social matters important to his people such as drought, economic conditions, apartheid, slavery, emigration, African children sick with Aids. In 1993 he was appointed as UNICEF Ambassador.

Nightlife in Dakar is lively. There are many clubs where to listen to the best musicians of traditional music and of any other kind of rhythm, from afro-jazz to hip-hop. Discos and nightclubs open after eleven in the evening and concerts do not start before one in the morning. For jazz-lovers the Keur Samba or the Tamango Bar are worth being visited. Obviously if in the period of your holiday a concert of Youssou Ndour is scheduled, you can not miss it.

The Muslim calendar has eleven days less than the (western) Gregorian one, so every year the several festivals and feasts take place eleven days before those of the previous year. In the years to come the "Ras as-Sana " (the Muslim New Year's Day) will be in April, while the "Moulid an-Nabi" (commemoration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed) will be between May and June. The Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and remembers the period when the Koran was revealed to Mohammed. In this period Muslim people do not eat or drink during the day till sunset. At the end of the Ramadan people celebrate for a long period. Among the festivals the Paris Dakar Rally is probably the most famous: it is the well-known race for cars and motorbikes which stretches along a 10,000-km long route ending in Dakar on the second week of January.

The island of Gorèe is unfortunately well-known to have been the slave leaving point. Some inhabitants speak of more than 6 millions of slaves who landed on the island before being sent to the final destinations, which were often in the New World. Such figures are not confirmed by all historians but for sure millions of African people left from this port, they were marked as animals and never came back.

In Touba, the holy city, smoking and even showing a cigarette package is forbidden: people who do not respect such rules might get into trouble.

1) Dakar
2) The Museum IFAN in Place de Soweto, with its wonderful collection of masks, statues and music instruments.
3) The Grande Mosquée, for Muslims only. The other people can visit the characteristic surrounding medina.
4) The city of Thiès, 70 km. far from Dakar; it is famous all over the world for its tapestries.
5) The island of Saint-Louis, the first French settlement in Africa; it dates back to 1659.
6) The Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie, which hosts pink flamingos, white pelicans and herons.
7) The small markets in Ziguinchor, where bargaining is always possible. The city is one of the cheapest in Senegal.
8) The wonderful beaches in the region of Cap Skiring Kaolack
9) The island of Gorée visiting the Maison des Esclaves (House of the Slaves).
10) The Niokolo-Koba national park, rich in elephants, lions, leopards, hippos and crocodiles.

1) Surfing and water-skiing are possible in Plage Bel-Air and near the beaches of N'Gor, Malika-sur-Mer and Yoff.
2) At the Kayak Club in Dakar kayak excursions are organized on the rivers and along the country coasts.
3) The Pointe des Almadies is the ideal site for diving.
4) The Parc National de Basse Casamance is ideal for trekking.
5) Parc National aux Oiseaux du Djoudj is the paradise for bird-watching lovers.

- Food and Water - It is advisable to drink water from sealed bottles or cans.

- Tips - As in the rest of the world tipping porters, waiters etc. is quite a common habit.

- Safety - Micro-crimes episodes (pick-pocketing, thefts and robberies) are widespread above all in the big cities and in the areas with the highest tourist concentration. It is therefore advisable to be extremely careful.
- Female and male prostitution is present in the nightclubs making tourists victims of thefts.

Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in Italy
Via Giulia, 66 - Rome (Italy)
Phone: 0039 06 6872 381/6872 353/6865 212
Fax: 0039 06 6821 9294
E-mail: ambasenequiri@tiscali.it

Consular Section in ROME
Lungotevere di Sangallo, 3 - Rome (Italy)
Phone: 0039 06 6865 212/6872 381/6872 353
Fax: 0039 06 6821 9294

Consulate-General in MILAN
Via Lazio, 4 - Milan (Italy)
Phone: 0039 02 5410 7550
Fax: 0039 02 5411 5799

Rue Alpha Achamiyou Tall -Senegal
Chancellery telephone number: 00221 8216 842/8221 610/8221 471
Fax: 00221 8217 580
Consular Chancellery: 00221 8220 578
Mobile: 00221 6381895 (it is active for emergency cases during the office closing hours)
Satellite phone: 00874 7618 48250-251
E-mail: ambasciata.dakar@esteri.it
www.ambdakar.esteri.it