Senegal is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 18.9 million people (2025) and an area of 196,710 square kilometres. Its capital is Dakar, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of SenegalSenegal in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Senegal's 19, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 19
West Africa's Atlantic anchor, with a country inside it
Senegal sits on the westernmost point of the African continent, its Cape Verde peninsula jutting into the Atlantic. The country almost entirely surrounds The Gambia, a narrow sliver of a nation that follows the Gambia River inland, one of the odder geographic legacies of European colonial map-drawing. Senegal's position on the Atlantic gave it strategic importance during the slave trade, the colonial era, and today as a hub for fishing, shipping, and submarine telecommunications cables linking Africa to the Americas and Europe.
More on Cape Verde peninsula
The peninsula hosting Dakar is the westernmost point of mainland Africa. Its natural harbor made Dakar a major colonial port and it remains one of West Africa's most important urban centers, home to roughly 3.5 million people in the greater metropolitan area.
18 more lenses on Senegal in the app
STORY Senegal is West Africa's democratic exception
NOW The oil arrived and so did the hidden debt
THREAD Senegal is the hinge of Francophone West Africa
PLACE The westernmost point of the African mainland
STORY The Lions of Teranga and their long wait
NOW Dakar's academies and the road to Europe
THREAD The day Senegal beat the world champions
PLACE Sahel, river and the spiritual interior
STORY Laamb, the brotherhoods and the national game
NOW A settled power, a short tournament
THREAD Dakar to the leagues of Europe
PLACE The green third of Senegal, reached the long way
STORY The soldiers who came home and were shot
NOW Fishing boats built for the coast cross an ocean
THREAD Four countries that jointly own their river's dams
PLACE A four-meter cut that grew six kilometers wide
NOW A gas field that belongs to two countries
THREAD A currency printed in France, spent in Dakar
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Senegal?
The capital of Senegal is Dakar. Dakar lies at about 14.7 degrees north and 17.5 degrees west. Senegal is in Africa, in the region often called West Africa. It is home to about 18.9 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Senegal?
About 18.9 million people live in Senegal, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 68th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 196,710 square kilometres, that is about 96 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Senegal?
Senegal shares land borders with 5 countries: Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. The map on this page outlines each of them around Senegal. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Senegal?
Senegal covers 196,710 square kilometres, or about 75,950 square miles. That makes it the 86th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 18.9 million gives a density of 96 people per square kilometre.
Senegal is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 18.9 million people (2025) and an area of 196,710 square kilometres. Its capital is Dakar, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capital
Dakar
Continent
Africa
Region
West Africa
Population
18,931,966 2025, World Bank. 68th of 195.
Area
196,710 km² (75,950 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 86th largest of 195.
West Africa's Atlantic anchor, with a country inside it
Senegal sits on the westernmost point of the African continent, its Cape Verde peninsula jutting into the Atlantic. The country almost entirely surrounds The Gambia, a narrow sliver of a nation that follows the Gambia River inland, one of the odder geographic legacies of European colonial map-drawing. Senegal's position on the Atlantic gave it strategic importance during the slave trade, the colonial era, and today as a hub for fishing, shipping, and submarine telecommunications cables linking Africa to the Americas and Europe.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/senegal/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Senegal
NameDate
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Colour Senegal on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
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One question I still have
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/senegal/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
