Capital: Dakar
Population: 12,969,606 (July 2012 est.)
People groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs (Serer). 1%. The Serer religion, or Fat Roog (“the way of the Divine”) is the original religious beliefs, practices and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in western Africa. The Serer people believe in a universal Supreme deity called Roog (or Rog). The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia Region. Serer religious beliefs encompass ancient chants and poems, veneration of and offerings to deities as well as spirits called pangool, astronomy, initiation rites, medicine, cosmology and the history of the Serer people. (see Serer Religion in Wikipedia for details).
About 5 percent of the population of Senegal adheres to Christianity. Small Roman Catholic communities are mainly found in coastal Serer, Jola, Mankanya and Balant populations, and in eastern Senegal among the Bassari and Coniagui. The Protestant churches are mainly attended by immigrants but during the second half of the 20th century Protestant churches led by Senegalese leaders from different ethnic groups have evolved. In Dakar Catholic and Protestant rites are practiced by the Lebanese, Cape Verdean, European, and American immigrant populations, and among certain Africans of other countries as well as by the Senegalese themselves.
There are small numbers of adherents of Judaism and Buddhism. Judaism is followed by members of several ethnic groups while Buddhism is followed by a number of Vietnamese. The Bahá’í Faith in Senegal was established after `Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, mentioned Africa as a place that should be more broadly visited by Bahá’ís. The most recent estimate, by the Association of Religion Data Archives in a 2005 report details the population of Senegalese Bahá’ís at 22,000.[48]
Living conditions: Infant mortality: total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births, male: 61.57 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 48.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.). Life expectancy: total population: 60.18 years, male: 58.22 years, female: 62.19 years.
Government: Republic.
Executive branch: chief of state: President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012)
head of government: Prime Minister Abdoul MBAYE (since 3 April 2012)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president.
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate, reinstituted in 2007, (100 seats; 35 members indirectly elected and 65 members appointed by the president) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote and 60 elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Council; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals
Senegal was colonised by France and became independent in 1960 together with Mali. The union between the two countries broke up a few months later and Senegal elected its first president. Governance has been generally good and elections fair. There has been some rebellion in the south of the country.
Pray for:
- God to reveal the men of peace.
- Entry for CPM.
- Workers for the harvest field.
- See below.
Please pray for Jose Dilson and Marli, missionaries from Brazil!!