Senegal - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Senegal, it was 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. The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 14 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kéedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
National symbols
Lion; national colors: green, yellow, red.
The flag
The National flag of Senegal has three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; green represents Islam, progress, and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope.
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note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
The National Anthem
| Title | "Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons) |
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| Lyric/music | Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER |
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note: adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the Koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title
More about the government of Senegal
| Date of Independence | 4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 4 April (1960) |
| Legal system | civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Council |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001 |
| Amendments | Proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum; the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote; the republican form of government is not amendable; amended several times, last in 2019 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single, renewable 5-year term; election last held on 24 March 2024 (next to be held in 2029) |
| Election results | 2024: Bassirou Diomaye FAYE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (PASTEF) 54%, Amadou BA (APR) 36%, other 10% 2019: Macky SALL reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5%
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| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years) |
| Elections | Last held on 31 July 2022 (next scheduled to be held in July 2027) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%; seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 42, WS 24, other 17; composition - men 89, women 76, percentage women 46.1% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice; judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker; judges serve 6-year terms, with renewal of 2 members every 2 years |
| Subordinate courts | High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president); Courts of Appeal; Court of Auditors; assize courts; regional and district courts; Labor Court |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Isidor Marcel SENE (since 31 August 2024) |
| Chancery | 2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 234-0540 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 629-2961 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php |
| Consulate(s) general | New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau |
| Embassy | Route des Almadies, Dakar |
| Mailing address | 2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130 |
| Telephone | [221] 33-879-4000 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://sn.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 7 (5 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Island of Gorée (c); Niokolo-Koba National Park (n); Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (n); Island of Saint-Louis (c); Stone Circles of Senegambia (c); Saloum Delta (c); Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula, and Bedik Cultural Landscapes (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Senegal
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Senegal
Want to know more about Senegal? Check all different factbooks for Senegal below.
