Senegal

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Senegal

Senegal a West African country surrounded by Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau. The country is a popular safari destination and the Fathala Reserve is home to giraffes, elands, antelope, rhinos and over 10,000 birds. The country also boasts white sand beaches, vibrant urban life in the capital city of Dakar and richly diverse ecosystems. Read on for five more things you may not know about this beautiful African country.

5 Facts You Might Not Know

Senegal was a French colony until 1960 and French remains the country's official language. Most of the 12 million inhabitants also speak an ethnic language like Wolof, Seereer-Siin, Maninka, Fula, Soninke or Diola.

The Senegalese flag has three vertical stripes with a star in the center. The red stripe symbolizes the sacrifices made toward independence, the green is for Islam and hope and the yellow stripe is a symbol of wealth. The center star represents the hope that the Senegalese gained upon independence.

Senegal is a very tolerant state, the population is 94% Muslim and people of many religions have lived in the country peacefully for hundreds of years. Today, about 5% of Senegalese people are Christians and 1% still practice traditional indigenous religions.

Senegalese food is spicy and filled with vegetables. The national dish is chicken that is cooked in tomato sauce and supplemented with local produce like cabbage and peppers. Rice with fish is also very popular. Sauces like mafe, soupe kandja and domada add spice and flavor to meals.

The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar is a tribute to those that worked to free Africa from European colonialism. The monument is taller than the Statue of Liberty and was created in 2010.

The capital of Senegal is Dakar. The currency of Senegal is the CFA Franc BCEAO †(XOF) Flag of Senegal

Senegal is an African country

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