Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates 14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references Africa

Area
total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries
total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline 531 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Terrain generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Natural resources fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 88% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 710 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

NOTE: The information regarding Senegal on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Senegal Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Senegal Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.