Informational Stats and Facts on Senegal

Thirty informational stats and facts on Senegal geography, history, politics, government, economy, population statistics, culture, religion, and languages and the best Senegalese Thiebou Guinar Chicken Recipe.

Learn all about the African country of Senegal

Senegal’s economy is driven by tourism, mining, construction, fisheries, and agriculture, which are the primary sources of employment in rural areas. Around 70 percent of Senegal lives in rural towns. 

The cost of electricity is a chief constraint for Senegal’s development. Electricity prices in Senegal are among the highest in the world. Power Africa, a US presidential initiative led by USAID, supports Senegal’s plans to improve reliability and increase generating capacity.

Of the nearly 16 million people living in Senegal, the population without electricity is 6 million or 35% of the population. Ninety percent of urban areas have electrification compared to 43% in rural areas.

30 Informational stats and facts on Senegal

1. Senegal is located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.

2. Senegal is slightly smaller than the US state of South Dakota.

3. More than 60% of the population is under the age of 25.

4. Senegal ethnic groups are Wolof 38.7%, Pular 26.5%, Serer 15%, Mandinka 4.2%, Jola 4%, Soninke 2.3%, other 9.3%.

5. Senegal's nationality is Senegalese using both the singular and plural form.

6. Senegal's capital is Dakar which was home to the Dakar Off-Road Rally until 2009 when the race moved to South Africa.

Children of Senegal

7. There are 11 regions in Senegal comparable in function to county seats, Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, and Ziguinchor.

8. The Dutch established a slave port on the island of Goree in 1588 and years later in 1659 it became a key slave trading port.

9. During the Seven Years War 1756–1763, Britain took over French posts in Senegal forming the colony of Senegambia.

10. Slaves, ivory, and gold were exported from the coast during the 17th and 18th centuries.

11. Born in Senegal/Gambia in about 1753, poet Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston, Massachusetts, on a slave ship in 1761 and was purchased by John Wheatley as a personal servant to his wife.

12. The French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted independence in 1960 as Mali Federation.

13. In 1960, Senegal exerted its independence from under French rule as an independent nation.

14. The 40-year reign of Senegal's Socialist Party came to a diplomatic end in the 2000 elections.

Tyson is an idol in Senegal wrestling

15. Senegal’s Patriotic Symbol the African Renaissance Monument is to symbolize the achievement of Africa but some have serious issues with the nudity and symbolism of the 164-foot statue.

16. The statue depicts a very muscular man, holding a baby in one hand, leading a voluptuous woman with one exposed breast and supple thighs with the other.

17. Climbing the 216 steps to the African Renaissance Monument you would not immediately discern that local African artists feel unfairly denied the chance to work on a project of national pride.

18. Located in the Senegalese capital of Dakar the African Renaissance Monument cost millions to create, $27 million dollars to be exact.

19. The Senegalese Ex-President, unable to pay the $27 million price tag on the work, gave real estate to North Korea’s Mansudae Overseas Project, which later sold the land at profit in exchange for the statue.

20. Languages of Senegal may not surprise you since Senegal was once a French colony, the official language is French, and the other major languages are Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, and Mandinka.

21. Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and it is the indigenous language of the ethnic grouping of the Wolof people.

22. Wolof is the most widely spoken language in Senegal even though the official language is French.

23. Republic of Senegal Motto: "Un Peuple, Un But, Une Foi” "One People, One Goal, One Faith".

In 1960, Senegal exerted its independence
from under French rule as an independent nation

24. Senegal is named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country; many theories exist for the origin of the river name; perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river.

25. Independence Day is April 4 in Senegal.

26. Senegal’s president is directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term.

27. Léopold Senghor was a poet, teacher, and diplomat, first president of Senegal, and a major proponent of the concept of Negritude.

28. In 1935, Léopold Senghor became the first African agrégé.

29. Drafted in 1939 at the beginning of World War II, Senghor was captured in 1940 and spent two years in Nazi concentration camps.

30. Senghor was reelected president in 1963 and retired on Dec. 31, 1980.

---

Now that you know all the stats and facts about Senegal, let's taste the food by making one of the national dishes of Senegal, Senegalese Thiebou Guinar Chicken.

Senegalese Thiebou Guinar Chicken 

Senegalese Thiebou Guinar Chicken Step-by-Step Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients
6 chicken legs
½ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 piece medium size smoked fish
2 cloves garlic, diced
4 medium white onions, diced
1 bunch green onion, diced
1 medium cabbage, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 pimento pepper, sliced
1 cup uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 sprig thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large boiled eggs, sliced


Directions
In a large pot with a lid over medium-high heat, add oil and chicken. Brown chicken for 3 minutes and remove from pot. Add vegetables, and spices to the chicken pot. Cook until onions are slightly soft. Then add chicken, fish, and broth. Stew for 15 minutes covered. Add rice and stew 15 minutes longer adding more broth if needed. Add shrimp, stew 5 minutes and serve dish decorated with sliced boiled eggs.

Read more facts and food recipes about Africa

The African Gourmet creates easy African food recipes for you to enjoy. Learn more about Africa.

Easy Vegetarian Sweet Potato Curry Soup

Brinjal and Eggplant are two different words that refer to the same fruit.

West African Ginger Beer Recipe

Cape Malay Chicken Curry Supermarket Meal Recipe

How to Cut a Mango

Love and respect the animals of Africa 10 Endangered Animals in Africa

Love and respect the animals of Africa 10 Endangered Animals in Africa

Start your African journey by discovering facts about animals in Africa. Learn all you wanted to know about 10 endangered and critically endangered African animals with facts and animal descriptions. Endangered and critically endangered African animals are under threat from poaching, but experts believe trophy hunting of overpopulated animals can be beneficial for conservation through revenues generated by trophy hunting.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines trophy hunting and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Trophy hunting typically takes place as a legal, regulated activity under programs implemented by government wildlife agencies, protected area managers, indigenous or local community bodies, private landowners or conservation or development organizations.

Whereas poaching for the illegal wildlife trade is – by definition – illegal and unmanaged. Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade is generally far more damaging in both scale and demographic impact, with breeding females and calves often killed.

The prices paid for trophy hunts vary enormously, from the equivalent of hundreds to hundreds of thousands of United States dollars; at a global scale, such hunts involve a substantial revenue flow from developed to developing countries

List of 10 Endangered and Critically Endangered Animals in Africa

· African Penguin

· African Wild Dog

· Black Rhino

· Chimpanzee

· Ethiopian Wolf

· Grevy's Zebra

· Mountain Gorilla

· Riverine Rabbit

· Rothschild's Giraffe

· White Rhino

Facts on ten endangered and critically endangered animals in Africa

Endangered African Penguin

The African penguin, or black-footed penguin, is also nicknamed the jackass penguin because it’s mating call sounds like a whinnying donkey. The population of African penguins is declining rapidly. Currently, there are only around 52,000 mature individuals. 

The African penguin is only found in the southwestern coast of Africa on 24 islands in Namibia and Algoa Bay, east of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. They spend their days at sea feeding and their nights gathered together on the shore. Like all penguins, African penguins are much more agile in the water than on land swimming up to 12 miles per hour. 

Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day feeding on small fish such as sardines and anchovies, crustaceans and squid. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day. African Penguins are monogamous and the same pair will normally return to the same colony and often the same nest site each year on Dyer Island to be together.

Endangered African Wild Dog

Hunting and habitat loss has left fewer than 5,000 wild dogs in all of Africa. You will find these animals in southern African nations like Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. 

In East Africa’s Serengeti ecosystem, several diseases have had an impact at the population level including rinderpest in buffalo and cattle and canine distemper, which brought the African wild dog to near extinction particularly in Africa, outbreaks in wildlife have occurred when pathogens have spilled over from a surrounding reservoir of domestic dogs.

Critically Endangered Black Rhino

There are around 4,900 black rhinos in the world today. In Africa, you will find them in Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Swaziland (renamed the country eSwatini in April 2018), Malawi, and Zambia. 

Poaching and habitat loss are threatening their very existence. Populations of African rhinos in the Savé and Bubye conservancies in Zimbabwe are not hunted, but proceeds from trophy hunting support their conservation. As of the end of 2015, Namibia and South Africa hosted 90 percent of Africa’s total black and white rhino population. 

In South Africa, the limited trophy hunting of rhinos, combined with live sales and tourism has provided an economic incentive to encourage more than 300 private landowners to build their collective herd to about 6 140 white rhinos and 630 black rhinos on 49 private or communal landholdings. 

The reserve allocates all the proceeds from rhino hunting to rhino protection and conservation management. The 323 000-hectare Bubye Valley Conservancy (BVC), also a converted cattle ranch now has roughly the third-largest black rhino population in Africa.

Endangered Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees are threatened by humans who regard then as both pets and as food in African bushmeat trade which is the poorly managed and largely uncontrolled harvesting of wildlife posing a threat to wildlife in Africa. Chimpanzees are found only in Africa. 

Currently, there are around 150,000 in the wild. They are regionally extinct in Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and The Gambia. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees that have appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976. In 2010, 440 chimpanzees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed each year for bushmeat, estimates Dr. Cleve Hicks, at the University of Amsterdam. 

"I was astonished to see the sheer quantities of bushmeat being taken out of the forest," says Hicks. "It was really shocking.” According to an 18-month study of remote human settlements deep in the Congolese jungle, chimpanzees are being subjected to a wave of killing by bushmeat hunters.

Endangered Ethiopian Wolf

Today you will not find more than 500 Ethiopian wolves in the wild. Rabies, loss of habitat, shooting, climate warming, and road killings are pushing these animals to the brink of extinction. The disease is an increasing threat to many of the world’s endangered carnivores in Africa. 

To date, rabies and canine distemper have given the greatest concern, causing severe declines in and local extirpations of a range of species, including Ethiopian wolves. Education campaigns to encourage responsible dog ownership have been conducted in Ethiopia, although with limited effect. 

Domestic dog vaccination has been carried out around several protected areas in Tanzania such as the Serengeti National Park (NP), Ruaha NP, and Udzungwa NP, and in Ethiopia, particularly the Bale Mountains NP, to protect the Ethiopian wolf.

Endangered Grevy's Zebra

Grevy’s zebra is the largest and most endangered zebra species. A few decades ago, more than 15,000 Grevy’s zebras inhabited Africa. Today, fewer than 2,500 remain. They live in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Habitat degradation; reduced water sources; hunting; disease; loss from overgrazing and competition for natural resources are killing these animals.

Critically Endangered Mountain Gorilla

Fewer than 900 mountain gorillas exist today. They live in areas suffering from the effects of civil war, poverty, poaching, and disease. The endangered mountain gorilla is an herbivore living in the Virungas, a cluster of forested volcanoes that straddle the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and spans four national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga National Park. 

The mountain gorilla is a high-altitude race of the eastern gorilla, the larger of Africa’s two gorilla species, and distinguished by its dense fur, which protects it from the colder highlands climate. It lives in troops of 10-30 creatures, over which a silverback male, named for his cape of white hair reigns. 

Silverback males can sometimes weigh up to 400 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, females, 215 pounds and 5 feet tall. If you want to experience gorilla trekking in Rwanda your first requirement is a permit, which will cost around $350- $750 in Rwanda or Uganda. 

The gorilla permit will get you one hour with the gorillas in their natural high-altitude surroundings. Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park is home to 10 mountain gorilla families who can be visited by one group of eight visiting a day.

Critically Endangered Riverine Rabbit

Riverine rabbit is the most endangered species in Africa. There are only 250 animals in the world today and the population is decreasing. The Riverine Rabbit inhabits dense wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams and along the seasonal rivers in the central Karoo South Africa. You will find the rabbits only in South Africa, however, hunting, habitat loss, and accidental deaths are the main threats. IUCN last assessed the Riverine Rabbit on May 2016, it is possible this animal is extinct.

Critically Endangered White Rhino

The history of rhino hunting in Namibia and South Africa demonstrates clearly its sustainability in terms of population numbers. Many wildlife experts believe that the white rhinoceros will become extinct by the end of the next decade. 

Only five northern white rhinos are alive today. The northern white rhino formerly found over parts of northwestern Uganda, northeastern The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Chad, Cameroon, southern South Sudan and eastern part of Central African Republic.

Two of the primary causes of current and past population declines of the large mammals subject to trophy hunting such as the white rhino. Losses are also due to habitat loss and degradation, competition with livestock, illegal or uncontrolled poaching for meat and trade in animal products, ivory and horn, and retribution killings in human-wildlife conflicts. As of the end of 2015, Namibia and South Africa hosted 90 percent of Africa’s total black and white rhino population.

Endangered Rothschild's Giraffe

The Rothschild species of giraffes are considered one of the tallest. Today you will find less than 700 Rothschild’s giraffes in the wild. Population segregation, poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife clash are the main threats to these wonderful animals. 

Isolated populations of Rothschild's giraffes live in savannahs, grasslands and open woodlands of Uganda and Kenya. Very few locations are left where Rothschild's giraffe can be seen in the wild as most are in captivity. 

Except in Uganda, the country’s largest protected area in Murchison Falls National Murchison Falls view park, whose palm-studded grassland supports dense populations of lion, buffalo, elephant and Uganda kob, together with the localized Rothschild’s giraffe and patas monkey. 

In Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park, approximately 100 miles from Nairobi is a sanctuary of rhinoceros and the Rothschild's Giraffe and has a large reserve of over 300 species of birds. Kenya takes pride of place as the only country in the world where three of the nine giraffe subspecies are found, the Maasai, the Reticulated and the Rothschild’s.

Did you know?
World Animal Day is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on October 4th.

• Ghost towns and wild horses of the African Namib Desert


• Africa Earth Facts


• Giraffes Love Acacia Trees


• Legends Abound About the Marula Tree Fruit and Oil


• What Are Africa's Big Five Animals


• Ngorongoro Crater African Garden of Eden

Cumin Makes the Best African Herb Sauce Recipes

Make the best North African cumin herb sauce for dinner tonight.

Cumin is a low-growing annual herb of the Nile valley, but cultivated in the Mediterranean region, Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, India, China, and Palestine from very early times and is a strong tasting herb. Cumin plants mature in about two months when the stems are cut and dried in the shade; one of the main ingredients in green chermoula is cumin. 

Green plants plus cumin make the best African herb sauce recipes.

African Recipes by African Gourmet 

One of the main ingredients in North African green chermoula sauce is cumin. Cumin has a nutty peppery flavor and chermoula is a green plant-based North African herb sauce traditionally served with seafood. 

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 20 min

North African Green Herb Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 parsley sprigs minced

5 cilantro sprigs minced

½ teaspoon lemon extract

2 teaspoons ground paprika

2 teaspoons ground habanero powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin powder

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients and blend on low speed to a rough paste, while the blender is still running slowly add oil and blend until thick paste forms. Store in a container in the refrigerator. 

More info on cumin

Cumin seeds are one of the world's most popular spices. Cumin is the seeds or fruit of the plant and is a slender annual plant. Cumin is native to Egypt, India, and the Mediterranean regions but spontaneously grows in many parts of Africa. Being an earliest known minor seed spice used by humankind, the characteristic pleasant aroma of this seed is due to high oil content.

Much of the crop in the North African regions are hand-harvested. The crop is ready to harvest when the plant withers and the seed loses its dark green color. Cumin is produced and traded worldwide and the major producing and trading countries are Egypt, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.

Cumin is an herb or spice that is used to flavor foods of various kinds, curries, bread, cheeses, sausages, and as a flavoring in such dishes as chili and other similar dishes in both whole and ground form.

Black cumin is native to Southern Europe, West Asia, India, and North Africa. The small triangular seeds are velvety black in color. Its initial place of origin is most probably West Asia. Black cumin has been in use in the Orient since presumably more than 3,000 years. 

Now that you know about cumin spice, make homemade North African curry powder recipe with ground cumin seeds quick, easy, no additives or fillers and it tastes better than your store-bought curry powder.

Natural Fresh Cumin Seeds

North African Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients

7 oz. Cumin seeds

2 oz. Coriander seeds

1 dried chili pepper

7 oz. Mustard seeds

1 dried Bay Leave

8 oz. Cardamom seeds

2 oz. Saffron

Directions

Accurately weigh all ingredients. Add all ingredients to a spice or coffee grinder and grind into a powder. Store in an airtight container. 

Grilled chicken with curry powder recipe

Read more facts and food recipes about Africa

The African Gourmet creates easy African food recipes for you to enjoy.

Learn more about Africa.

Easy Vegetarian Sweet Potato Curry Soup

Brinjal and Eggplant are two different words that refer to the same fruit.

West African Ginger Beer Recipe

Cape Malay Chicken Curry Supermarket Meal Recipe

How to Cut a Mango

Friends Leave You Just When You Need Them Most

African folktale story Friends Leave You Just When You Need Them Most

Hawk learns in this African folktale story that friends do not support you when you most need it.

Folklore storytelling is the most ancient art form of the African Community. Just as someone expresses their ideas and the form of music, painting, dance and sculpture folklore takes the ideas of an ancient story and creates with words a picture that enchants the listener with a rich auditory environment.

Many African people are born storytellers and spend many long hours practicing their art. Not everyone can acquire the art of folklore storytelling imagery, but for the beginner one should think of folklore storytelling as a heritage passed on from traditional storytellers and dig deep within the ancient storyteller that lies within us all.

Time and effort must be given to becoming an African folklore storyteller, just as any artist must give time and effort to developing their skill. African folklore storytelling can turn a shy awkward self-conscious boy or girl into storytellers who captivate and win the heart of their listeners. 

African folklore storytelling can help those afraid of public speaking by relating the value of the story and discover the roots within themselves on how to tell a story like a skilled craftsperson. 

Throughout this African folklore story of friends leave you just when you need them most, Hawk learns a hard lesson that friends are not always friends and do not support you in your time of need.

Poor Wet Hawk

Why Hawk and Squirrel Are Enemies Friends Leave You Just When You Need Them Most African folktale story

As the ancestors say, Hawk and Squirrel were best friends and one day went on a hike together. When they saw that they could not reach their destination the same day, Squirrel suggested that they build shelters for themselves in which they could put up for the night.

"Good idea my friend,” said Hawk and they went to work.

Hawk wove his nest and fastened it on the branch of a tall tree, while Squirrel took shelter in a hole in the trunk of a tree. When they had finished their cozy lodgings, they both went fast to sleep.

During the night a terrible storm came up, which destroyed the nest of the hawk. It all came so suddenly that he barely escaped with his life.

In his distress, Hawk flew to his best friend Squirrel for help since the fury of the storm had been unable to touch him in his snug little shelter inside the tree.

"My friend," said the Hawk to the Squirrel, "the storm has wrecked my nest and I cannot build another in this stormy weather.

Squirrel ignored his friends cry.

Hawk, thinking Squirrel could not hear him over the noise of the storm then yelled louder to his friend, “Can’t you can hear how the rain is furiously coming down, I pray you, take me in for the rest of the night!"

Squirrel grew tired of his friends complaints screeching, “Get away! Don't disturb me!" Squirrel then bore deeper into the tree leaving his best friend Hawk to the mercy of the savage storm.

Ever since that night, Hawk and Squirrel are no longer friends but bitter enemies.

Friends leave you just when you need them most; how to cope when a friend lets you down. 

Squirrel was fed -up with Hawks bad friendship ways. What should you do if you find yourself face-to-face with a bad friend? First of all, recognize that all relationships change and change is an inevitable part of life. To think otherwise sets you up for unnecessary anguish and suffering. Circumstances change; people change. Accepting this as a part of the human experience eased the mental pain of change. 

Secondly, examine how the underlying source of unhappiness is an unfulfilled desire and understanding not getting what we want is an inevitable experience on the path of life. Not a day passes by without a desire or want goes unfulfilled. When you are able to recognize that desires are ever-present, but are often unfulfilled, you better able to free yourself from the prison of desires and make peace with life. 

Moving on in a situation like this can take several forms: continuing with the relationship, but changing your expectations, working to enrich your other relationships, or reaching out to new people.

Links to African history and facts

African Water Spirit Mami Wata

Reported Female Genital Cutting Countries

Nkasa Tree Test for Witches

African Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention

Life in the Slums of Africa

The Walking Dead | Learn All About Voodoo

How Drones Are Changing Humanitarian Disaster Response