Traditional geographic areas

Senegal is divided into five geographic areas, which are inhabited by various ethnic groups. Ferlo, the north-central area of Senegal, is distinguished by its semidesert environment and by its poor soils. Vegetation appears only in the south, the north consisting of the Sahelian type of savanna parkland (an intermediate zone between the Sahara and the savanna proper); it affords light grazing for the flocks tended by nomadic Fulani pastoralists.

Fouta is centred on the Sénégal River and extends approximately from Bakel in the east to Dagana in the north. It consists of a strip of territory that is relatively densely inhabited. Watered by the river and its tributaries in the dry season, this area is conducive to highly developed agricultural and pastoral use of the soils and vegetation. Fulani also inhabit this area, although Wolof occupy the False Delta, where they cultivate millet and raise livestock with the help of Fulani shepherds.

The diverse area situated between Ferlo and the Atlantic and extending from the False Delta in the north to Cape Verde Peninsula in the south was once home to the historical Wolof states of Dianbour, Cayor, Djolof, and Baol. Here the soils are sandy and the winters cool; peanuts are the primary crop. The population is as diverse as the area itself and includes Wolof in the north, Serer in the Thiès region, and Lebu on Cape Verde.

The Sudan area is bounded by Cape Verde to the northwest, Ferlo to the north, and the lower Casamance valley to the southwest. It is composed of the following parts—the “Little Coast,” Sine-Saloum, Rip, Yassine, Niani, Boundou, Fouladou, and the valleys of the Gambia and upper Casamance rivers. In general, the area benefits from ample rainfall, which becomes abundant toward the south. It is suitable for agriculture and, as a result, is relatively densely populated. The area as a whole is inhabited by a diverse population composed of all the ethnic groups living in Senegal; the majority, however, are Malinke.

The lower Casamance area is covered by dense vegetation of the Guinean type. The predominant ethnic groups are the Diola and the Mandinka.

Rural settlement

Slightly more than half of all Senegalese live in the countryside, although people continue to migrate to the towns, especially the capital city, Dakar. Many of those migrating to urban environments still consider themselves farmers who go there to do odd jobs to make money to send to their families. There are numerous villages, each with an average population of a few hundred people. Usually each village has a shaded public gathering place, a mosque, and a water source (a well, a spring, or a small stream). The village is administered by a chief who is either traditionally nominated or appointed by the government. Religious life is directed by a Muslim marabout or other traditional religious leader. The villages differ on the basis of the ethnic characteristics of the inhabitants, but all are directed by traditional leaders of some form.

Urban settlement

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The towns of Saint-Louis (founded in 1659) and Dakar (1857) are the oldest in Senegal. Saint-Louis, originally the capital of French West Africa and noted for its colonial heritage, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. Other towns, founded more recently and of colonial origin, typically developed as collection points for the peanut trade and later evolved into urban centres. These towns were often stops along the railroad lines, as at Thiès, Tivaouane, Mékhé, and Louga (between Dakar and Saint-Louis) or at Khombole, Bambey, Diourbel, Gossas, Kaffrine, and Koungheul (between Thiès and Kayes, Mali). Certain ports also became towns; among these are Kaolack, Foundiougne, and Fatick (on the Sine-Saloum rivers) and Ziguinchor, Sédhiou, and Kolda (on the Casamance River). Many of these towns have remained rural in character. Furthermore, every town—including Saint-Louis, Rufisque, and Gorée, which had great importance in the past—is today dependent upon the Dakar metropolis, where some one-fifth of all Senegalese live.