In rural areas dwellings are usually well constructed and roofed with straw, with walls made of either earth or straw. In more-prosperous villages roofs may be made of corrugated iron; the walls may be made of cement brick. Houses in towns are constructed of cement and have roofs either of tile or of corrugated iron; typically, many families are crowded together in these dwellings. Migration from the countryside has expanded the population of urban areas and resulted in the proliferation of shantytowns.

Wolof villages, which are small, contain about a hundred households. Because the topography provides no natural obstacles, each village may easily be moved from place to place. The houses are built of locally obtained materials. Harvests are kept in straw granaries, located far from the housing compounds for fear of fire. In the area around the Saloum River, each Wolof village is surrounded by three concentric zones of vegetation. The first of these—the inner zone—consists of fields and vegetable gardens. The second circle consists of land that has been exhausted, except for peanut cultivation. The third, the farthest from the village, is where cereal crops are cultivated.

The typical Malinke village has between 200 and 300 inhabitants living in enclosed compounds and crowded together in geometrically aligned rectangular huts. Agriculture and stock raising are the principal economic activities. Each village is usually headed by a chief or a Muslim marabout, who, like most traditional leaders, is conservative in outlook.

Unlike Wolof and Malinke villages, Serer family compounds are more dispersed, and each one is autonomous. On the islands at the mouth of the Saloum River, each Nyiominka Serer compound contains solidly built houses and a granary.

Diola villages contain 5,000 or more people. Like those of the Serer, the compounds are not grouped in any distinguishable hierarchy. These villages are characteristically built on the edge of a plateau or on ground overlooking the rice fields, which are associated with Diola life. Their houses are the best-built and most-permanent village dwellings in Senegal. On occasion they constitute veritable fortifications, as in Thionck-Essil and Oussouye. The villages near Essil also can be quite sophisticated, with many of them equipped with rainwater-catchment systems. Diola and Serer villages have no chiefs with authority or prestige comparable to those of Wolof or Malinke villages.

Education

Western education has existed in Senegal since the 19th century; its first goal was to train the Senegalese in French culture and to help with colonial administration. Since independence Senegal has made particular efforts to increase school enrollment in rural areas, although with limited success; the literacy rate remains one of the lowest in the world. Among the secondary schools, the Faidherbe Lycée at Saint-Louis and the Van Vollenhoven Lycée at Dakar are the oldest and most renowned. Technical education is expanding and is provided by institutions in Dakar, Saint-Louis, Diourbel, Kaolack, and Louga.

Higher education developed from the School of Medicine of Dakar (1918). It achieved full status as a university in the French system in 1957 and became known as the University of Dakar. The name was changed in 1987 to University Cheikh Anta Diop to honour a Senegalese scholar and politician. Following disturbances in 1968, Senegal concluded an agreement with France that emphasized a more African-based curriculum. The College of Sciences and Veterinary Medicine for French-speaking Africa is also located in Dakar, and a polytechnic college opened at Thiès in 1973. The University of Saint-Louis, founded in 1990, was renamed University Gaston-Berger in 1996 for a Senegalese philosopher who was born in Saint-Louis. Approximately one-fifth of the students attending these schools are foreign, mostly from the French-speaking countries of Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Daily life and social customs

Collectivism is central to traditional Senegalese culture, which remains very much alive. Although written forms of languages spoken in Senegal have existed for some time, the country’s cultural heritage is preserved through oral tradition, mainly by the oldest men of the community, who are at the summit of Senegal’s hierarchical society. Rites and initiations are actively practiced in rural areas—for example, by the Basari of Kédougou. Among Muslims, youths must be circumcised before being accorded the responsibilities of manhood. Even though the constitution prohibits discrimination by sex, traditional religious beliefs in many parts of the country prohibit women from inheriting land, and society generally recognizes men as the heads of the households.

A wide variety of foods are available in Senegal. Millet, couscous, and rice form the basis of many meals; peanuts and fresh seafood are common sources of protein; and chiles and palm oil are used for flavouring. Common dishes include thiéboudienne, rice served with a fish and vegetable sauce; yassa au poulet or yassa au poisson, grilled chicken or fish in an onion and lemon sauce; and mafé, a peanut-based stew. Meals are generally eaten communally from a single serving dish, as they are in many parts of West Africa, and a code of conduct called fayda ensures proper sharing. Senegalese beer is produced primarily by breweries in Dakar.

Independence Day is celebrated on April 4th. The country also celebrates various Christian and Islamic holidays.