DESTINATION SENEGAL
The most happening hang in West Africa, tropical Senegal is lauded for its beauties both natural and ephemeral. From its urbane capital, Dakar - many travellers' favourite amongst the larger African cities - to its fertile southern region of forest and farmland, the Casamance, much of its lands are lush and vital, especially when compared to the expansive deserts that surround it. Senegal's arts are just as lively, with a thriving textile market and an entourage of internationally known native musicians, such as Youssou N'dour and Touré Kunda. Altogether, Senegal's attractions bring in more visitors than any other country's in the region. True, most are package tourists soaking up the sunshine in the highbrow hotels that line its Atlantic shore, but there's something in Senegal for every budget and the best of it - a good wander through its streets and plains - is free.
 Map of Senegal (15K)
 Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Republic of Senegal
Area: 196,190 sq km (75,750 sq mi)
Population: 9.4 million
Capital city: Dakar (pop 900,000)
People: Wolof (36%), Fulani (17%), Sérèr (17%), Toucouleur (9%), Diola (9%), Mandingo (9%), European (1%) and Lebanese
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Religion: 96% Islam, 6% indiginous beliefs, 2% Christian
Government: Republic under multi-party democratic rule
President: Abdou Diouf
Prime Minister: Habib Thiam
 Environment
Looking like a caricature of some square-jawed, cackling woman with a mouthful of The Gambia, Senegal sits at the westernmost edge of the African continent. Its borders are met by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, Mali to the east, Mauritania to the north and the North Atlantic Ocean to the west. The independent nation of The Gambia is entirely enveloped (save where it meets the Atlantic) by Senegal's south-western region, forming the 'lips' of the giant face and separating northern Senegal from its southern region, called the Casamance. The country as a whole is slightly smaller than Great Britain or the US state of South Dakota.
Senegal's climate is pleasantly tropical, with Dakar ranking as one the coolest, breeziest spots in West Africa. The country's average daily temperatures range from 18°C (65°F) and 31°C (87°F). In the north and central parts, the rainy season lasts from July to September, while in the Casamance it's about a month longer on either end. Rainfall averages range from 300mm (12in) in the north to as much as six times that in the south; Dakar gets over 600mm (24in) annually. The dry season (December to April) is plagued by the hot, dry harmattan winds.
Senegal is washed by three rivers: the Senegal in the north, which forms the border with Mauritania; the Gambia in the middle, which is surrounded by The Gambia but for it's easternmost origins; and the Casamance in the south, which lends that region its name as well as its striking fertility. Desertification throughout the north of the country is an ever-increasing problem, only partially alleviated by the Manantalli Dam on the Senegal River. The country's lowest points are its Atlantic shores, while its highest lies in the Futa Jaldon foothills, which top out around 580m (1900ft).
Senegal is the most biologically diverse country in the Sahel, the semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert, and boasts over 550 animal species. It is also important for migrating birds, particularly waterfowl, which return in large numbers each winter from Europe, stopping at the Parc National aux Oiseaux du Djoudj, one of the world's major bird reserves, north of St-Louis.
 History
Senegal's recorded history dates from the 8th century, when it was part of the empire of Ghana. As this empire waned, the Djolof kingdom arose and flourished during the 13th and 14th centuries, in the area between the Senegal River and modern-day Dakar.
By the early 1500s, Portuguese traders had made contact with the coastal kingdoms, which was to last through the 16th century. They were displaced by the British, French and Dutch, who hoped to gain control of St-Louis and Gorée Island, strategic points where slaves bound for the Americas could be collected. St-Louis was finally secured by the French in 1659.
By the end of the 19th century, France controlled all of Senegal, and Dakar was built as the administrative centre. Senegal sent a deputy to the French parliament as early as 1848, but it wasn't until 1914 that the first African deputy, Blaise Diagne, was elected. He was followed by a new generation of black politicians led by Lamine Gueye and Leopold Senghor.
In the run-up to independence, Senegal joined French Sudan to form the Federation of Mali. The federation gained independence in 1960 but broke up two months later. Senegal became a republic under the presidency of Leopold Senghor.
At the end of 1980, Senghor stepped down as president. His place was taken by Abdou Diouf, whose first major crisis occurred in 1984, when it was discovered that an estimated 700,000 tonnes of groundnuts (about three times the official exported amount) had been smuggled into neighbouring countries by peasants unhappy with the fixed payments they received from the government.
In 1989, a minor incident on the Senegal-Mauritania border led to serious riots in both countries in which many people died. Both countries deported thousands of the other's nationals (killing hundreds in the process), the border was closed and diplomatic relations were broken off until April 1992.
In the early 1990s, there were serious clashes in the Casamance region between the army and separatist rebels. Quite apart from the suffering caused to the local people, the fighting severely affected Senegal's tourist industry. This compounded Senegal's already desperate financial situation.
More violence occurred in Casamance and elsewhere in early 1993, following elections in which Diouf was elected president for a third term. After long negotiations, a cease-fire was declared in July that year, and in the following months peace returned to Casamance. By early 1994, the first tourists had also begun to return.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, things were still far from peaceful. The government introduced a number of austerity measures, leading to a one-day general strike in early September and sporadic outbreaks of unrest in Dakar and other cities during the following months. The devaluation of the CFA in January 1994 also resulted in angry demonstrations. In February 1994, hundreds of people marched on Dakar's presidential palace and six policemen on guard were reportedly hacked to death. The government responded to this by ordering high-profile army patrols onto the streets of the capital. The popular opposition leader Abdou-laye Wade was arrested and accused of conspiracy.
Dakar remained tense but peaceful in the following months, and Wade was released in May 1994. Two months later, French officials visited Senegal and attempted to encourage President Diouf to include Wade in the government.
 Economic Profile
GDP: US$15.6 billion
GDP per head: US$1700
Annual growth: 5%
Inflation: 7.8%
Major industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, construction materials
Major trading partners: France, EU, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Algeria, China, Japan
 Culture
Like many African tribes, Senegal's main indigenous group, the Wolof, has a highly stratified society wherein status is determined by birth. At the top of the social heap are traditional noble and warrior families, followed by the farmers, traders and persons of caste - blacksmiths, leather workers, wood workers, weavers and griots (GREE-oh). Griots are the lowest of the castes but are highly respected, as they are in charge of passing on the oral traditions and are usually the only ones who can recite a family or village history. They used to be the entertainers of the royal families; these days, if you're fortunate enough to hear a kora played, the player will almost certainly be from a griot family. Slaves occupied the lowest rung of the social ladder, and although slavery is now long gone, many descendants of former slaves still work as tenant farmers for the masters of old.
Over 80% of Senegal's population is Muslim, including the Wolof, Toucouleur and Mandinka. (The Fulani, or Peul, and the Diola are animists by tradition, while many of the Sérèr are Catholics.) One of the primary differences between orthodox Islam and the Senegalese version is the latter's reverence for its Grand Caliphs, or marabouts (holy men), who are thought to link their disciples and Allah. Few people would think of making a big decision without consulting their town's Grand Marabout.
French is the official language and Wolof the principal African tongue. The Toucouleur and Fulani speak Pulaar (or Fula), while the Sérèr speak Sérèr. Arabic expressions are also widely used and can come in handy for travellers.
The food in Senegal is generally very good. Regional specialities include poulet or poisson yassa, marinated and grilled chicken or fish; mafé, a peanut-based stew; tiéboudienne (chey-bou-jen), rice cooked in a fish and vegetable sauce. Senegalese beer is also good. Gazelle and Flag are popular brands.
Senegalese music can be divided into two broad categories: traditional and modern. Today's pop stars base their music on traditional sounds and rhythms and have become some of the most famous in Africa. The father of modern Senegalese music is Ibra Kassé, who founded the Star Band de Dakar in the early 1960s. Foremost amongst today's stars is Youssou N'dour, who combines traditional mbalax music and Western pop, rock and soul and has an international following. Touré Kunda is another world-famous exponent of mbalax, while Baaba Maal, a Peul from northern Senegal, sings in his native tongue and displays a more traditionally 'African' sound.
 Events
The Islamic (or Hjira) calendar is a full 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (western) calendar, so public holidays and festivals fall 11 days earlier each year. In April for the next few years, Ras as-Sana is the Islamic celebration of the new year. Moulid an-Nabi celebrates the prophet Mohammed's birthday around June or July. Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (presently in December), commemorating the month when the Qur'an was revealed to Mohammed. Out of deference, Muslims take neither food nor water until after sunset each day. At the end of Ramadan ('Eid al-Fitr), the fasting breaks amidst much celebration.
Other festivals include the Grand Magal pilgrimage and celebration, held in Touba 48 days after Ras as-Sana, and the Paris-Dakar Rally, a 10,000km (6200mi) motor race that ends in Dakar around the second week of January.
Public Holidays
1 January - New Year's Day
1 February - Confederation Day
March or April - Good Friday, Easter Monday, Tabaski
4 April - Independence Day
May or June - Ascension Day, Pentecost and Whit Monday
1 May - May Day
15 August - Assumption Day
1 November - All Saints' Day
25 December - Christmas
December or January - 'Eid al-Fitr
 Facts for the Traveller
Visas: Visas are required for all foreigners, except nationals of Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, who may visit for up to 90 days without a visa.
Health risks: Malaria, bilharzia (schistosomiasis), cholera
Time: GMT/UTC
Electricity: 110/240V
Weights & measures: Metric (see the conversion table)
 Money & Costs
Currency: Communaute Financière Africaine franc (CFAF)
Relative costs:
Budget meal: US$1-5
Moderate restaurant meal: US$5-10
Top-end restaurant meal: US$10 and upwards
Budget room: US$8-20
Moderate hotel: US$20-45
Top-end hotel: US$45 and upwards
Hotels in Dakar are expensive by the standards of other African capitals, though they're still relatively cheap for Westerners. There are a few bargain places as well as plenty of places to splurge, if you're in a regal mood. Budget travellers should figure on spending US$15-20 a day, mid-rangers about double that. Even hard-core spenders will be hard pressed to part with more than US$100 a day. Outside the capital, prices are significantly lower at all but the most touristed sites.
Cashing travellers' cheques is easy in Dakar but difficult elsewhere if they're not in French francs. Some banks give cash advances with Visa cards, but sometimes only for French cards (eg Carte Bleue), as they are easier to verify. The process can take 24 hours. There are banks in all the main towns and one at the airport. Bargaining is common in the markets.
 When to Go
The best time to travel in Senegal is between November and March, when it's cool and dry. However, around this same time of year the dry, dusty harmattan winds blow off the Sahara. If you're going there to scuba dive, the waters are at their clearest from February to April. Bird-watchers will want to be around for the November-to-April migratory season.
 Attractions
Dakar
Dakar gets mixed reviews from travellers. To its supporters, it's a modern, spacious city with a temperate climate and many interesting distractions. Its tree-lined streets and relatively small central area make it easy to walk around, despite its population of over a million, and its clubs and cafes pick up when the daytime attractions go dark. Detractors then point out that the cost of living is very high and some of the city's hustlers won't take no for an answer. You'll have to go and see for yourself. If you don't like Dakar, it's easy enough to escape, with daily transport to all parts of the country; then again, you might just join the ever-growing ranks of resident expatriates.
Dakar's IFAN Museum on Place de Soweto houses a superb collection of masks, statues, musical instruments, stools and agricultural implements from all over West Africa. The handsome white Palais Présidentiel, five short blocks south of the Place, dates from 1906 and is surrounded by sumptuous gardens.
Dakar has two major markets. Marché Kermel, east of the Place towards the port, burnt down in 1993, so now the stalls are out in the surrounding streets, selling mainly fruit, clothing, fabrics and souvenirs. The larger Marché Sandaga has more fruit and fewer souvenirs, but for visitors the sheer choice of fabric is a real draw.
Out of the city centre is the Grande Mosquée, built in 1964, with its landmark minaret that's floodlit at night. The mosque is closed to non-Muslims, but it's worth coming here anyway to see the medina surrounding it. While not picturesque, its bustling atmosphere contrasts sharply with the sophisticated high-rise city centre.
Plage Bel-Air, a beach just north-east of the railway station, is fenced and has a bar and sailboards for hire, although the water is not particularly clean. Avoid the other beaches near Dakar, or you'll run a fair risk of being robbed.
Just 70km (40mi) east of Dakar, this is officially Senegal's second-largest city, although it feels quite small and is not at all unpleasant. You can come here to relax under its shade trees, eat in its cafes and cheap restaurants or simply to wander its central area and watch the world go by, but Thiès' main attraction is its world-famous co-operative-run tapestry factory, the Manufactures Sénégalaises des Arts Décoratifs. The tapestries are all based on the paintings of Senegalese artists and can range into the thousands of US dollars; they're worth a peek even if you have no intention of buying. Visitors are allowed only into the factory's exhibition rooms, but the most interesting part of the experience is touring the factory to see how the tapestries are made - call a few days in advance and you may get the full tour.
St-Louis
For a glimpse of what Senegal looked like in the colonial period, head for St-Louis, the first French settlement in Africa, which dates from 1659. Today, the city straddles the mainland, an island and part of the Langue de Barbarie peninsula at the mouth of the Senegal River. You reach the island on the 500m (1640ft) Pont Faidherbe, originally built to cross the Danube but shipped here in 1897. Two smaller bridges link the island to the peninsula.
St-Louis was the capital of Senegal-Mauritania until 1958, when the two countries split up. On the island, which was the European quarter, you can see many grand old houses with their wrought-iron railings and wooden balconies and verandas. The part of St-Louis on the peninsula used to be the African quarter; today, it's a fishing community called Guet N'Dar and the liveliest section of town.
On the island, local 'guides' will take you up onto the roof of the post office for a small fee, from where you get good views of the bridge and the city. Nearby is the old governor's palace, a fort during the 18th century, now a government building and useful landmark. The cathedral nearby dates from 1828; despite its modern appearance, it's the oldest remaining church in Senegal. South of Guet N'Dar is a unique Muslim cemetery, where each grave is draped with its occupant's fishing net.
Some 20km (12mi) farther south along the peninsula, along with some good beaches, is Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie, home to numerous water birds, such as pink flamingos, white pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets and ducks.
At first glance, Ziguinchor may not seem like anything special, but those who stay here grow to love it despite the influx of tourists during the winter months. The city is not big, with about 100,000 inhabitants, and you can easily cover the central area on foot. Budget travellers rejoice: it's also one of the cheapest cities in Senegal.
The Marché St-Maur is worth a visit if you're looking for food or knickknacks. A block south is the Centre Artisanal, where numerous venders sell a variety of area crafts, from wooden carvings to fabrics and dresses to silver and metal work.
A short daytrip south of Ziguinchor is the Ferme Animalière de Djibelor, which has an interesting selection of tropical plants and 'wild' animals, the larger ones in cages. Many of the area's hotels can also organise a pirogue ride to the villages of Affiniam and Djilapao or the Île des Oiseaux.
The beaches in the Cap Skiring area are some of the finest in all Africa. Here, you'll find most of Senegal's tourist hotels and the highest concentration of foreigners in West Africa, except for in The Gambia. If you want a few days' sun and sand, this is the place, but if you're trying to see the 'real' Africa, pass on.
To escape the bustle of Cap Skiring, head for Diembéring (JEM-bay-ring), 9km (5mi) to the north, where the beach is quiet and hassle-free. Also nearby is Parc National de Basse Casamance, with several vegetation zones and quite an assortment of animals.
Kaolack (pronounced KOH-lack) is a regional capital with over 200,000 inhabitants and is the centre of Senegal's groundnut industry. Midway between Dakar, Tambacounda and The Gambia, it's often regarded as little more than a junction, but it's a lively city - more active city than sleepy St-Louis or Ziguinchor - and is worth visiting for a day or two.
Kaolack's main attractions are its beautiful large mosque, decorated in the Moroccan style, and covered market - the second largest in Africa after Marrakesh - with Sudanese-style arches and arcades. Despite these attractions, few tourists come here, so there's very little hassle. It's a great place just to wander around and soak up the atmosphere.
Off the Beaten Track
Île de Gorée
Tiny Gorée Island, about 3km (2mi) east of Dakar, is a wonderfully peaceful place with about 1000 inhabitants, no asphalt roads and no cars. You'll find colonial-style houses with wrought-iron balconies, an old town hall, decent beaches and Le Castel, a rocky plateau that offers good views of the island and Dakar and is now occupied by a bunch of ganjafied drum junkies in medias squat.
At the north end of the island, the excellent IFAN Historical Museum is worth a wander. Its superb pictorial and physical exhibits portray Senegalese history up to the present. There's also the Musée Maritime, Musée de la Femme and a tourist market near the ferry ramp that's full of souvenir-quality crafts.
But the highlight - or lowlight, depending on your degree of sensitivity - of a visit to Gorée is a trip to the Maison des Esclaves (Slave House), built in 1786 and renovated in 1990 with French assistance. Here, according to the house's tour guides, slaves were stuffed into small pens, inspected and priced like animals before being shipped to the Americas. The curators will go on to tell you how the obstinate ones were chained to the walls and sea water was pumped into their rooms to keep them partially submerged, and how the weaker ones died and were fed to sharks while the stronger survivors were branded with the shipping company's insignia and packed tightly into ships' holds for transportation. Although walking through the dimly lit dungeons (particularly after a visit to the museum) is truly evocative of the horrors of the slave trade, historians now believe it unlikely that the Slave House actually held many captive slaves, apart from those who belonged to the house's owners and maybe a few for trading. While they're anxious to distance themselves from charges of revisionism, they see the promotion of the house as a historical site of significance as mere commercialism based on distortion. Regardless of the promoters' hype and despite the historians' doubts, Slave House and its stories make for a grim reminder of Senegal's involvement in the brutal trade.
This large delta, formed where the seasonal Siné and Saloum rivers meet the tidal waters of the Atlantic, is often overlooked by visitors. You will not see large mammals here, apart from the occasional wart hog and perhaps a sea cow (manatee) in the lagoons, but the area abounds with monkeys and is particularly good for birding, especially during the November-to-April migratory season. A wild, beautiful region of mangrove swamps, lagoons, forests, dunes and sand islands, the delta is well worth a visit for the scenery alone. The ocean waters and a few points of delta land are protected as the Parc National de Delta de Saloum.
The village of Djifere on the western edge of the delta sits within the park at the tip of a narrow spit of land called the Pointe de Sangomar. Palmarin is another village a few kilometres north of Djifere. Both are good places to base yourself and arrange pirogue (open wooden boat) trips around the delta wetlands. West of the eastern gateway to the region, Kaolack, Foundiougne (pronounced FOUN-dune) is easy to reach and is another good place to arrange pirogue trips, plus fishing and bird-watching ventures, which can also be arranged from Ndangane (pronounced n-den-GAN-nee), the northernmost settlement bordering the delta.
The southern side of the park, known as the Forêt de Fathala, is a dry, open woodland with tidal mud flats on the western edge and mangrove swamps beyond. It's best explored from bases at Toubacouta and Missirah. Red colobus monkeys are plentiful here but shy.
Niokolo-Koba, Senegal's major park, takes up a fair chunk of the south-eastern corner of the country. Although neglected in recent years, it's still very beautiful and worth a visit if you've got the time. Its lush and varied vegetation is home to over 80 species of mammal, including elephant, lion, leopard and eland, although you can't always count on seeing them. Elephant, particularly, have been drastically reduced by poaching. You are likely, however, to see hippo, crocodile, waterbuck, bushbuck, kob, baboon, buffalo, monkey (green and hussar), warthog, roan antelope and hartebeest.
You must have a vehicle to enter the park, and walking is not allowed anywhere; travellers without a car can visit by public transport or an organised tour. The best time to come is between December and May (the dry season), but some park tracks are not cleared until a month after the rains have ended, so don't take anything for granted. For information, visit the park headquarters in Tambacounda, where you might get lucky and catch a lift.
 Activities
Senegal's best beaches are found in the Casamance around Cap Skiring. Closer to Dakar, check out Plage Bel-Air and the beaches of N'Gor, Malika-sur-Mer and Yoff. You can rent a sailboard or go water-skiing at several of these beaches, and the Kayak Club of Dakar has monthly kayak trips on rivers and the coast around the country. The coast off the Pointe des Almadies offers some of the best scuba diving in West Africa. In particular, check out the waters around Île de N'Gor, the Almadies area and Île de Gorée. The waters are at their best from February to April. If you find the saltwater too 'natural' for your liking, nearly all the top-end hotels of Dakar have swimming pools.
Dakar's cool weather means that jogging is a realistic option - a rarity in Africa. Most of the major hotels have tennis and (less commonly) squash courts. Hiking is a favorite of visitors to the Casamance, in particular the Parc National de Basse Casamance, while bird-watchers shake their tail feathers for the sights at the Parc National aux Oiseaux du Djoudj, the Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie and the Siné-Saloum Delta. Those hoping to spot something furrier will have better luck at the Parc National de Niokolo-Koba.
 Getting There & Away
When flying between Europe and Senegal, you have a wide choice of airlines, as you do when flying to other destinations in Africa, including to Bamako, Banjul, Abidjan and Bissau. Most airline offices are on or near the Place de l'Indépendance in Dakar, but it can be cheaper and easier to use a travel agency. Departure tax is US$15, but most tickets include that in the price.
Though Senegal completely surrounds The Gambia, Senegalese vehicles are not allowed to cross the border, so you have to change. (Only vehicles passing through on the Trans-Gambia Highway are allowed to cross the border, but you cannot end your journey in The Gambia.) The main entry points are at Karang and between Velingara and Basse Sante Su. Some intrepid travellers get rides on ocean-going pirogues (open wooden boats) from Dakar and Ziguinchor to Banjul, but there are no set schedules or prices, and you should note that these boats are notoriously unsafe.
Bush taxis run regularly from Dakar to Rosso, at Senegal's border with Mauritania, from where you catch a pirogue across the river. The whole journey can be done in a day if you leave early. Bush taxis also from Dakar to Labé, Guinea, and from Ziguinchor to Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (via São Domingos and Ingore).
The Dakar-Bamako express train is the best way to travel overland to Mali, as the road is very bad. The train departs Dakar on Wednesdays and Saturdays and takes 30-35 hours. Large, comfortable 1st-class seats can be reserved in advance; 2nd-class is more crowded with less comfortable, though adequate, seating. The train has a bar-restaurant car, or you can buy cheap food at stations along the way. Note that at each border post you have to get your passport stamped. It may be taken by an inspector on the train, but you still have to collect it yourself by going to the office at the border post. Nobody tells you this. So if your passport is taken, ask where and when you have to go to collect it. You may need a stamp at the police station in Kayes too, but this seems fairly arbitrary.
 Getting Around
Air Senegal has daily flights from Dakar to Ziguinchor (and on to Cap Skiring) and weekly flights to Tambacounda and Kedougou. There are also flights to Simenti in the Niokolo-Koba game park.
The main roads between Dakar, Kaolack, Ziguinchor and other large towns are covered by buses (carrying 30 to 40 people) and good quality minibuses (between 15 and 30 seats). On many routes, you also find more rustic minibuses - sometimes, rather misleadingly, called cars rapides. These are battered, slow, crowded and worth avoiding if possible.
Your other option for long-distance travel is a bush taxi (taxi brousse). On the main routes, these are usually Peugeot 504s with three rows of seats: comfortable, safe and reliable. On rural routes, bush taxis are pick-ups (sometimes called bachés) that seat about 12 people on benches. Fares are reasonable.
Buses are about a third the price of bush taxis, and minibuses are somewhere in between. There's normally a small extra charge for luggage.
For travel around Senegal, trains are slower than road transport, but 2nd-class is usually cheaper. There are trains every day between Dakar and both St-Louis and Kaolack and weekly between Dakar and Tambacounda.
The ferry MV Joola sails between Dakar and Ziguinchor twice per week in each direction. The journey takes about 20 hours. Deck class is about half the cost of the comfortable reclining seats in 1st class. For a one or two person self-contained cabin, double the price again.
Car hire is not cheap - often twice as much as hiring a taxi's service for the same long-distance drive - but many of the big international companies have offices in Dakar. Some smaller outfits have cheaper deals available.
 Recommended Reading
- West African history buffs will have a field day with any of the following titles: Contemporary West African States by Donald Cruise O'Brien, West Africa: an Introduction to its History by Michael Crowder, A History of West Africa, 1000-1800 by Basil Davidson, West Africa Since 1800 by JB Webster and AA Boahen, and Topics of West African History by Adu Boahen.
- For would-be pundits in the political and economic arenas, there's meat to be dished in Democracy in Translation: Understanding Politics in an Unfamiliar Culture by Frederic C Schaffer, West African States by John Dunn and The Economies of West Africa by Douglas Rimmer.
- Tracy D Snipe's Arts and Politics in Senegal, 1960-1996 is a solid, multi-dimensional work on the subjects and their interrelation.
- Watch out, all you greenies and tree huggers out there: The Seeds of Famine: Ecological Destruction & the Development Dilemma in the West African Sahel is just as cheery as it sounds.
- Africa South of the Sahara and the Resource Guide to Travel in Sub-Saharan Africa, Vol 1 are both widely respected and highly detailed reference works for the region.
- A Field Guide to Birds of The Gambia and Senegal by Clive Barlow, Tim Wacher and Tony Disley is just what the ornithologist in you needs to really take flight.
- Geoffrey Gorer's African Dances is less a study of African dance than it is a tale of a colonial-era white man's adventures travelling from Senegal to Benin in 1935.
- Senegalese author Sembéné Ousmane's God's Bits of Wood is his most widely acclaimed to date and tells of the struggles of strikers on the Dakar-Niger train line in 1948. Other novels by Ousmane include The Last of the Empire and Money Order with White Genesis.
- Florence Ladd's first novel, Sarah's Psalm, deals with a young, black Harvard student who travels to Senegal to interview a famous writer and ends up falling in love with both the country and the writer.
- Susan Lowerre's Under the Neem Tree tells a vivid and accurate story of a Peace Corps volunteer in the region.
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