Looking for information on Geography of Senegal? You have come to just the right place. Tucked away in the westernmost corner of West Africa, Senegal is marked by relatively flat land with low relief. The West African nation of Senegal is a coastal country that is located 14 degrees north of the Equator and 14 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. This country covers a total area of 196,190 kmē of which 192,000 kmē is land and 4,190 kmē is water. To know more about Geography of Senegal, keep reading.
Fast Facts about Geography of Senegal
Senegal is located in Western Africa and is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean on the west. It is bounded by Mauritania (813 km border) to the north and Guinea-Bissau (330 km border) to the south-southwest. The African country of Mali is located to the east of Senegal and shares 419 km border with it. Some important details about the geography of Senegal are given below:
- Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W
- Land boundaries: Total - 2,640 km
- Bordering countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
- Total Coastline: 531 km
- Elevation extremes: lowest point in Atlantic Ocean 0 m and highest point is an unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
- Terrain of Senegal: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
- Main Natural resources of Senegal: fish, phosphates, iron ore
- Land use percentage:
Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 16%
Forests and woodland: 54%
Other: 18%
- Irrigated land: 1,200 kmē
- Vegetation zones of Senegal: Sahel, Sahel-Soudan, Soudan, Soudan-Guinea, tropical rainforest, and mangrove.
- Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
- Chief Environmental Issues: Wildlife population endangered by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification and over fishing.
Environmental treaties signed by Senegal:
- Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas
- Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
- International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
- Montreal Protocol
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
- Ramsar Convention
- 1978 Convention on Ship Pollution
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