Senegal
Senegal, a small country in West Africa that owes its name to the river (of the same name) that marks its northern and eastern borders, is one of the many countries in that region that is part of the Francophonie, the world-wide community of speaking peoples French that can be found all over the world (from Canada to the South Pacific). Senegal, which was once part of several ancient African empires (such as the 9th-century Ghana Empire and the 13th-century Wolof Empire), joined the international slave trade that began when the Portuguese and Wolof empires established trade relations. In the mid-1400s, the Wolof Empire generated wealth by selling war captives to Portuguese merchants (which resulted in Gorée Island being established as a starting point for ships carrying slaves to their final destination, which finally became the Americas). This practice of selling war captives soon spread to other regions of West Africa, where mini wars were started just to generate more slaves. In the 16th century, the slave trade was further internationalized with the Dutch and the French fighting for control of Gorée Island. The Dutch expelled the Portuguese from that port area in 1588, while the French established a slave checkpoint in Saint-Louis, Senegal. Later, as a result of the Franco-Dutch War, the French took Gorée Island in 1677. With the British taking control of much of Senegal during the Napoleonic War, they abolished slavery in that country in 1807 (which remained in force after the control of that territory was ceded to France). The French, after waging wars against several local groups (such as the Waalo, the Toucouleur Empire and the Trarza), had effective control over the entire territory of Senegal at the end of the 19th century and officially made it part of French West Africa in 1904 (with Dakar becoming its capital). For 1948, for reasons that benefited the French economy, the government of that country established a separate currency for its colonies (including Senegal): the CFA franc (which avoided that currency from the sharp devaluation that the French franc suffered against the US dollar ) during the initial era after World War II). Senegal became independent for the first time from French colonization in June 1960, not as its own country, but as part of the “Mali Federation” (incorporated into its largest West African neighbor, Mali, formerly known as French Sudan) . However, in just two months (August 1960), Senegal separated from Mali to become its own country. A significant advance that occurred for postcolonial Senegal was its membership in a monetary union that created the West African CFA, presumably to facilitate trade between West African countries. The West African CFA was linked to a fixed rate of the French franc, issued by BCEAO (Central Bank of West African States / “Central Bank of West African States”) and based in Dakar. With France adopting the Euro as its official currency in 2002, the West African CFA was established at a fixed exchange rate of 655.95 CFA per Euro. Unlike some countries (where tourism is a small portion of their economies), the travel industry has been vital to Senegal’s economy, representing a significant percentage of the country’s GDP (and being the fourth largest source of foreign exchange). For example, in 2000, around 500,000 tourists visited Senegal, generating profits of US $ 120 million. Tourists usually come from France, Belgium and the United States. Many beaches located near the capital of the country (Dakar), are a traditional tourist attraction, such as Plage Bel-Air, N’Gor Island, Yenn and Petite Cote. Others visit the Djoudj National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world). In addition to Senegal’s eco-friendly tourist attractions, many travelers are also attracted to historical sites related to the international slave trade, with Gorée Island (just off the coast of Dakar) that receives a significant number of such visitors The former French colonial settlement of Saint Louis is another UNESCO World Heritage site. In recent years, Senegal has benefited from the wave of travelers who fled from destinations in North Africa such as Egypt and Tunisia, due to political unrest there.