Senegal nearly surrounds the Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country.
The capital of Senegal, Dakar, is the westernmost point in Africa. It owes its name to the Senegal River that borders it to the east and north. Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost surrounds the Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, except for Gambia’s short Atlantic coastline. It lies between latitudes 12° and 17°N, and longitudes 11° and 18°W. The country attained independence from France on 20 June 1960 while it withdrew from the Mali Federation on 20 August 1960. The official currency of Senegal is the CFA Franc and French is the official language.
The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula and Toucoleur (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 communities (9%).
Also called Ile de Goree, this small island is just off the coast of Dakar, Senegal’s sprawling capital city. Goree Island is a big tourist attraction because of its history as a major slave-trading centre. It’s an important destination for African Americans who come to pay their respects and reflect upon their ancestors’ past. In fact, the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) on the island has become a place of pilgrimage for everyone to reflect upon the horrors of the slave-trade and remember the millions of souls who died because of it.
This is a huge rock standing out of the ocean that is a National Park of Senegal. The ocean around the island is such a beautiful turquoise. The rock formations are incredible. There’s a lagoon in the middle of the island to swim at and a very small beach. There is a lot of wildlife on the island as well; birds, crabs, fish, and such. Shade is very limited on the island unless you hide in the shadow of some of the rocks. The appeal of nature and the national park on Ile de Madeleine simply cuts it for those who appreciate its beauty.
The Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noir has an impressive collection of masks, statues, musical instruments, and agricultural implements from all over West Africa. It is one of the oldest art museums in West Africa. It was promoted by Léopold Senghor, the country’s first President. In December 2007, its official title was changed to The Théodore Monod African Art Museum (“Musée Théodore Monod d’Art Africain”), after the French naturalist Théodore André Monod, former director of IFAN. The museum is one of the regular locations used in the Dakar Biennale exhibition, showing art by contemporary African and diaspora artists.
The Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie is an ecosystem rich and varied. It is a unique combination of environments (mangroves, sand dunes, the Senegal River, the Langue de Barbarie, tidal wetlands, the beach, and the ocean). Here many different species thrive, crabs, lizards, and over 160 species birds can be found throughout the park. Starting in February, bird populations are busy nesting and raising their young. This is by far the best time to visit the park. A trip to the bird reproduction island is an amazing experience. Clouds of thousands of birds are seen swarming all over the island displaying mating behaviours, building nests, laying eggs, and raising their young. It is a wonderful place for nature lovers, sightseers, photographers, and bird watchers to visit. The Park is located just 18 km (11 miles) south of Saint-Louis in the region of Gandiol.
The Djoudj Sanctuary, located in the Senegal River delta, is a 16,000-hectare wetland with a large lake surrounded by streams, ponds, and backwaters. It provides a living but fragile sanctuary for 1.5 million birds, including the white pelican, purple heron, African spoonbill, great egret, and cormorant. The park is made up of lakes surrounded by streams. The area had seasonal floods with fresh water from the Senegal River in the past, followed by an influx of salt water from the ocean during the dry season. C onstruction of dams both upstream and downstream of the sanctuary has changed the hydrological regime. Now there is no longer a saltwater flood, only a seasonal freshwater flood. After the dams were finished, water bird counts in 1998 were 500,000 for just the top four species: garganey (222,000), pintail (120,000), ruff (120,000), and white-faced tree duck (36,000).
The gallery forests and savannahs of Niokolo-Koba National Park, which are situated in a well-watered area alongside the banks of the Gambia river, have a very rich fauna, including Derby elands (the largest of the antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards, and a sizable population of elephants, as well as many birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The Niokolo-Koba National Park is a natural reserve and World Heritage Site in southeast Senegal close to the Guinea-Bissau border. Niokolo-Koba Airport, an unpaved airstrip, serves it. The Park was established as a reserve in 1925 and was designated a Senegalese national park on January 1, 1954. After being expanded in 1969 and designated as a UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It was added to the UNESCO List of Endangered World Heritage Sites in 2007. The protected area has been designated as a Lion Conservation Unit since 2005.
This is a private game reserve in Western Senegal located 65 kilometres from Dakar near Sally and Mbour. Created in 1990, Bandia is the first private reserve of Senegal. All the tumulus of the Bandia forest was classified by the historical monuments in 2003. The reserve offers its visitors a wide variety of typical African savannah animals of which there are Giraffes, White Rhinos, Roan antelopes, Waterbucks, Kudus, Oryxs, Impalas, Cape Elands, Lord Derby Elands, Kob Antelopes, West African Forest Buffalos, Wart Hogs, Crocodiles, Green Vervets Monkeys and Patas Monkeys.
The Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal spans 76,000 hectares (190,000-acres). It was founded in 1976 and is located in the Saloum Delta, at the confluence of the Saloum River and the North Atlantic. The park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Convention site, is located within a 180,000 ha (440,000-acre) biosphere reserve. Water covers 61,000 ha (150,000 acres) of the park, intertidal mangroves and saltwater vegetation cover 7,000 ha (17,000 acres), and savannah and forest cover 8,000 ha (20,000 acres). It is located on the East Atlantic Flyway. Royal tern, greater flamingo, Eurasian spoonbill, curlew sandpiper, ruddy turnstone, and little stint are among the bird species that breed or winter in the area. This region represents an important synergy between nature and human development . Sustainable shellfish farming is well developed here, and it is a vital source of food and export revenue for the local community and Senegal as a whole. The Saloum Delta is located about 100 kilometres south of Dakar, Senegal's capital.
It’s more commonly known as the ‘pink lake’ due to its marvellous pink colour. The lake even turns a beautiful purple in the sunlight, this is owing to its high salt content and unique bacteria. The colour alone is enough to draw tourists, but the fascinating salt harvesting that takes place is also worth a look. The lake is just an hour’s drive north of Dakar and gives the visitor a nice insight into local village life, vegetable markets and traditional Fula culture.
Exciting photos of this great destination
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