Senegal

Dakar serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Senegal, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Thiès, Saint-Louis — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Dakar occupies the westernmost point of the African continent on the Cap-Vert peninsula, and its position as the Atlantic terminus of the Paris-Dakar Rally between 1979 and 2007 made it globally recognisable — though the race's cultural imposition eventually ended its welcome.

With a population of approximately 17.2M, Senegal is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are French, Wolof, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Senegal is reached via the dialling code +221. The Mouride Brotherhood, a Sufi Islamic order founded in Senegal in 1883 by Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, commands the loyalty of millions and runs a parallel economy centred on the holy city of Touba — a faith community with its own internal governance that negotiates directly with the Senegalese state.

Senegal spans 196,722 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 14.0°N, 14.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.

The official currency is the West African CFA franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Senegal's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Senegal is Thieboudienne. Food culture in Senegal is deeply tied to local identity — shared meals and markets are central to daily life and social gatherings across the country.

Football / Wrestling holds a special place in the heart of Senegal's national identity. Senegalese traditional wrestling, Laamb, packs stadiums in Dakar with crowds comparable to football finals — champion wrestlers like Balla Gaye 2 and Bombardier are national celebrities whose bouts draw corporate sponsorship and hours of television coverage, predating football as the country's defining sporting spectacle.

The highest point in Senegal is Unnamed peak, rising to 648 metres above sea level. The Sine-Saloum Delta, where the Saloum River dissolves into mangrove channels and tidal islands before reaching the Atlantic, supports populations of dolphins, manatees and more than 200 bird species — a waterscape that has shaped the fishing communities of the Serer people for a thousand years.