Senegal , [ e ] officially the Republic of Senegal , [ f ] is the westernmost country in West Africa , situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to the north , Mali to the east , Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. 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.
Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar. Senegal is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World , or Afro-Eurasia. Senegal covers a land area of almost , square kilometres 76, sq mi and has a population of around 18 million. The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule.
Because of this history, French is the official language, but it is understood by only a minority of the population. Like other African nations, the country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities , with the largest being the Wolof , Fula , and Serer people. Senegalese people are predominantly Muslim. Senegal is classified as a heavily indebted poor country , with a relatively low ranking on the Human Development Index th out of Most of the population lives on the coast and works in agriculture or other food industries ; other major industries include mining, tourism, and services.
In the world of motor sports , Senegal is known for the Paris—Dakar Rally. The country of Senegal is named after the Senegal River. The name of the river may derive from a Portuguese transliteration of the name of the Zenaga , also known as the Sanhaja.
French author and priest David Boilat put forward the theory that the name derives from the Wolof phrase "sunuu gaal", which means "our canoe". Archaeological findings throughout the area indicate that Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times and has been continuously occupied by various ethnic groups. Some kingdoms were created around the seventh century: Takrur in the sixth century, Namandiru and the Jolof Empire during the 13th and 14th centuries.
