Happy Independence Day Senegal

“There can be no peace without understanding” - Senegalese Proverb

(Senegal flag (1960-Present))

Senegal is located in western Africa.

(Map of where Senegal is located)

Its capital is Dakar. Dakar is also its largest city. The official language is French. The country is 76,000 square miles. Senegal is 97.7% African and 2.3% European. 94% of the population practice Islam, 5% practice Christianity and 1% practice indigenous religions. The total population is 13,567,338. The climate is tropical. Senegal is a semi presidential republic.

(Dakar, Senegal’s capital)

Senegalese cuisine consists of fish, chicken, lamb, peas, eggs, and beef.

(Senegalese cuisine)

The major style of music in Senegal is Mbalax, which is a percussive based music.

(Senegalese playing Mbalax music)

Senegal’s most popular sport is wrestling.

(Wrestling match in Senegal)

Senegal was inhabited in prehistoric times and has been continuously occupied by various ethnic groups. Kingdoms started to appear in the 7th century. The Takur took control in the 9th century. The Namandiru and the Jolof Empire took control during the 13th and 14th centuries.

(Man of the Jolof empire)

Islam was introduced through Toucouleur and Soninke contact with the hypo-Saharan Almoravid dynasty. In the 14th century the Jolof Empire grew powerful, having united Cayor and the kingdoms of Baol, Sine, Saloum, Waalo, Futa Tooro and Bambouk. The empire was a voluntary confederacy of various states rather than an empire built on military conquest. The kingdom collapsed in 1549. In the 15th century the Portuguese landed in Senegal with the French.

(A drawing of the Portuguese landing in Senegal)

Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward. In 1677, France gained control of what had become a minor departure point in the Atlantic slave trade the island of Gorée next to modern Dakar, used as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland.

(Goree island)

In the 1850’s the French began to expand onto the Senegalese mainland and they had abolished slavery and promoted an abolitionist doctrine. The French invaded and took over all the kingdoms except Sine and Saloum.

(French Senegal flag (1677-1959))

Senegalese resistance of the French expansion and curtailing of their lucrative slave trade was led in part by Lat-Dior, Damel of Cayor, and Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof, the Maad a Sinig of Sine, resulting in the Battle of Logandème.

(A drawing of Lat-Dior)

On April 4th, 1959 Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation. On April 4th, 1960 Senegal as a part of the Mali Federation gained its independence from France.

(Mali Federation flag (1959-1960))

On August 20th the Mali Federation broke up. Léopold Sédar Senghor was proclaimed Senegal's first president in September of 1960. He also wrote the Senegalese national anthem.

(Léopold Sédar Senghor)  

In 1981 Abdou Diouf became president. In 1982 Senegal joined with the Gambia to form the nominal Senegambia Confederation. In 1989 the confederation dissolved. In 2000 Abdoulaye Wade became the president of Senegal.

(Abdoulaye Wade)

In 2012 Macky Sall became president of Senegal.

(Macky Sall)

Today marks the 57th anniversary of Senegal’s independence and we would all like to say happy independence day Senegal.

Videos of Senegal Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKC9qnJmbg  “Senegal celebrates 50th anniversary of independence”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORl0KnESkrE  “Escorte du President Macky SAll”