When did Senegal exist?

Senegal existed 1960 – present. On this map it is drawn 1961–2024.

How large was Senegal?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Senegal covered about 202,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Africa · Independence and the modern states

Senegal

Republic · 1960 – present

Senegal is the westernmost country of mainland Africa and Afro-Eurasia, covering ~196,700 km² around the capital Dakar on the Cap-Vert peninsula, nearly surrounding The Gambia. Its ~18.8 million people are predominantly Wolof, Fula and Serer, ~91% Muslim with influential Sufi brotherhoods, and Wolof serves as lingua franca alongside official French.

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Type: Republic
Existed: 1960 – present
Shown on the map: 1961–2024
Peak area: 202k km²
Region: Africa

Overview

History

Inhabited since prehistory, the region hosted the Takrur kingdom (6th century), was touched by the Ghana Empire, and from the 13th–14th centuries formed the core of the Jolof Empire, a voluntary confederacy uniting Cayor, Baol, Siné, Saloum, Waalo and Futa Tooro. Islam spread via the Almoravids, resisted longest by the Serer. Portuguese sailors reached Gorée in 1444; the island later became a notorious slave-trade hub, passing to France in 1677. Under Governor Louis Faidherbe in the 1850s, France conquered the mainland kingdoms despite resistance led by Lat-Dior of Cayor and the Serer kings of Sine (Battle of Logandème). Dakar became capital of French West Africa, and Senegal's Four Communes produced an early African political elite.

Senegal became autonomous in 1958, joined French Sudan in the short-lived Mali Federation (independent 20 June 1960), then seceded on 20 August 1960. Poet-president Léopold Sédar Senghor ruled until his voluntary retirement in 1980 — a rarity in Africa — handing power to Abdou Diouf. Abdoulaye Wade's 2000 victory marked the first alternation of parties; Macky Sall (2012–24) oversaw infrastructure growth but also mass protests over the prosecution of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. In March 2024 Bassirou Diomaye Faye won the presidency, becoming Senegal's youngest head of state, and France completed its military withdrawal in 2025. A low-level Casamance separatist conflict (MFDC) has simmered since 1982.

Later history and present status

The economy relies on agriculture (groundnuts), fishing, phosphates, gold, tourism and new offshore oil and gas; Dakar is a regional financial hub. Senegal is famed for its democratic stability — it has never had a coup — and for cultural exports from Senghor's Négritude to mbalax music (Youssou N'Dour) and thieboudienne cuisine.

Common questions

What was Senegal?: Senegal is the westernmost country of mainland Africa and Afro-Eurasia, covering ~196,700 km² around the capital Dakar on the Cap-Vert peninsula, nearly surrounding The Gambia. Its ~18.8 million people are predominantly Wolof, Fula and Serer, ~91% Muslim with influential Sufi brotherhoods, and Wolof serves as lingua franca alongside official French.
When did Senegal exist?: Senegal existed 1960 – present. On this map it is drawn 1961–2024.
How large was Senegal?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Senegal covered about 202,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Who ruled Senegal?: Inhabited since prehistory, the region hosted the Takrur kingdom (6th century), was touched by the Ghana Empire, and from the 13th–14th centuries formed the core of the Jolof Empire, a voluntary confederacy uniting Cayor, Baol, Siné, Saloum, Waalo and Futa Tooro. Islam spread via the Almoravids, resisted longest by the Serer.
What is the present status of Senegal?: The economy relies on agriculture (groundnuts), fishing, phosphates, gold, tourism and new offshore oil and gas; Dakar is a regional financial hub. Senegal is famed for its democratic stability — it has never had a coup — and for cultural exports from Senghor's Négritude to mbalax music (Youssou N'Dour) and thieboudienne cuisine.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia — Senegal en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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