Careerbreaker Destinations - New For 2007 - Senegal
Senegal is West Africa’s most visited country with a varied cultural landscape and beautiful natural assets to satisfy all tastes; whether you come for its outstanding natural beauty, the abundance of bird life, the stunning beaches, the tropical forests, or to sample its legendary music.
The climate is tropical with distinct dry and humid seasons, the landscape is relatively flat with numerous lush waterways and forests, the coastlines offers beautiful long sandy beaches and the dynamic cosmopolitan capital city of Dakar, on the Cap Vert peninsula, sits on the Western most point of the African continent.
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and multiple languages are spoken, Wolof is the most widely spoken African language, although French is the official language of the country and spoken almost everywhere. The majority of the population live in rural areas and there is a significant population of French and Lebanese nationals living in the cities. Over 90% of the population are Islamic, contributing to this ex-colony’s rich cultural mix.
However as with many countries in Africa, there is a wide disparity between the relative wealth of the cities along its coast, and the poorer, rural interior. While the Government of Senegal is taking huge steps to meet the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, and is regarded by many as a country which could realistically achieve these goals by 2015, it is falling behind in many of them. Currently 66% of the rural population have no access to adequate sanitation, while almost half lack access to clean drinking water. The provision of primary education, while improving, still suffers from a lack of teachers, facilities and resources.
Careerbreaker will be based in rural communities in Senegal, working on valuable sustainable projects relating to the provision and support of sanitation, health and educational facilities. Projects in Senegal offer a great opportunity during your Careerbreak to develop your knowledge of French.
What Can I do In Senegal?
Community Development Projects
Adventurous Travel
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Destinations Homepage
About Senegal
Full Name
Republic of Senegal
Capital City
Dakar (pop 2 million)
Area
196,190 sq km
75,749 sq miles
Population
10,300,000
Time Zone
No time difference with UK
Languages
French (official)
Wolof (other)
Mandingo (other)
Religion
92% Islam, 6% indigenous beliefs, 2% Christian
Currency
CFA franc (CFA)
Famous For
Dakar, tropical landscapes, music
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