Who founded Senegal?
Ndiadiane Ndiaye
Founded in the 14th century by the possibly mythical chief of the Wolof Ndiadiane Ndiaye, who was a Serer of Waalo (Ndiaye is originally a Serer surname which is also found among the Wolof).
Why is Senegal called Senegal?
It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 16 million. The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule.
What was Senegal before independence?
It remained a colony of France until 1960, when, under the leadership of the writer and statesman Léopold Senghor, it gained its independence—first as part of the short-lived Mali Federation and then as a wholly sovereign state. Senegal Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Was Senegal a Portuguese colony?
Trade links with Europe were established from the fifteenth century on, first by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch, British, and French. The relationship remained an economic one until Senegal became a colony of France in 1895.
What religion is Senegal?
Abstract. Senegal is usually classified as 90% Muslim and 5% Christian. But Senegal’s dominant religious imagination is far different from anything suggested by classical labels like ‘Muslim’ or even ‘Sufi Brotherhoods’.
How many wives can you have in Senegal?
The most distinctive pattern of Senegalese marriage is polygamy, a marital state in which a man is married to more than one wife. In principle a man may have as many wives as he wishes, although most polygamous males follow the Islamic rule that limits the number of wives to four.
How did Senegal gain its independence from France?
Senegal gain its independence from France after breaking away from the Mali Federation, which was formed by merging Senegal and the French Soudan in 1959.
What is Senegal’s nickname?
As the Senegal River reached into the heart of the gold-producing Ghana Empire and later the Mali Empire , Trans-Saharan traders gave the Senegal its famous nickname as the “River of Gold”.
When did Senegal gain independence from France?
Senegal gained partial independence from France today in 1960 with complete independence achieved upon the dissolution of the Mali Federation on August 20th of the same year.
Was Senegal a French colony?
The establishment of Senegal as a French colony is merely one part of the French colonial effort in west Africa during the 1880s and 1890s. By 1895 there are no fewer than six French colonies in the region, covering a vast unbroken stretch of the continent.