State of Western Africa, limited to north by Mauritania, the east by Mali, the south by Guinea and the Guinea-Bissau, to south-west by Gambia (wedged), to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. With its 196' 720 km2, Senegal presents in West Africa a triple image: that of a flat, opened and contrasted country. Its history is at the same time that of the African, Arab and Western influences which worked it. It is finally, and especially, a fast country of transitions between dry Africa and wet Africa, between the worlds Arab and black, the Atlantic and the interior of the continent.

Senegal has provided number of vestiges testifying to a continuity to the human occupation for approximately 350' 000 years. The paleolithic inferior (more than 100' 000 years), to which testify double-side and hatchets, is represented in Eastern Senegal, on average Gambia and in the peninsula of Cape Verde.

The paleolithic means, rich in tools of invoice moustérienne, relates to especially the average and the low valley of Senegal. The Senegalese Neolithic era is subdivided in several facies, of which the manuélien of the peninsula of Cape Verde (ceramic and tools at the sight of peaks, of axes or gouges in volcanic rock) and the bélairien (flints made starting from glares forming the reinforcement of plate and arrowheads; polished axes, grinding stones, stones with grooves).

The “Neolithic era of the littoral”, on the Large Coast, is characterized by the use of the bones for the clothes industry of hooks, harpoons and axes. The vestiges of protohistoric civilizations are also numerous: the most remarkable sites are represented by the tumuli, the shelly clusters of the littoral and the megalithic monuments of Eastern Senegal.

The vestiges protohistoric and the oral traditions encourage to think that a wave of settlement would have come from north, by the empire of Ghana. The valley of Senegal (the fouta) represented, between the IX ^E century and the XIII ^E century, an axis of migration favorable to the Trans-Saharan trade containing gold, of salt, metals, cereals and fabrics. The formation of great empires, in the North-East, had important effects on the area of Senegal. This one was successively subjected to the authority of the empire of Ghana (VIII ^{e-XII E} century), of the empire of Mali (XIV ^E century) and of the Empire songhay (XVI ^{e-XVII E} century).

The first kingdom known in the area is that of Tekrour, located in the low valley of Senegal, river which ensured the trade of salt and gold; first bastion of Islam in Black Africa, Tekrour which, until the end of X ^E century, was under the domination of the empire of Ghana, took part in the rise and the conquest of the movement almoravide towards Mauritania, Morocco and Spain. Devoting supremacy ouolof of Senegal to Gambia, Large Diolof, founded with the XIII ^{e-XIV E} century, became a vast empire from which the territory extended on all current Senegal; its decline caused the emancipation of several small kingdoms, and it was dislocated in first half of the XVI ^E century. The kingdom of Fulani, at the end of the XV ^E century, is established on the valley of Senegal. During two centuries following, the political conflicts caused the disunion of it. To the south of Gambia, the confederation of Gabou, unified to the XIII ^E century and vassal of the empire of Mali, extended its influence on Gambia and the Casamance average.

At the end of the XVI ^E century, several States resulting from the bursting of old kingdoms were constituted: Cayor, Baol, Sine, Saloum, Boundou, Niani, Gabou, States lignagers of low Casamance. With the European trade, inaugurated to the XV ^E century - the Portuguese discovered Gorée in 1444 -, the history of these small States took a new dimension brutally. Installing the insecurity, the draft négrière reinforced the power of the coastal kingdoms to the detriment of the States of the interior. The Moslem religious leaders started to the XVII ^E century of the resistance movements. Started with the “war of the marabouts” (1673-1675), these hearths continued to the XIX ^E century, allowing a remarkable progression of Islam by the means of the brotherhoods.

As of the end of the XV ^E century, the presence of the Portuguese on the coasts of Senegal was competed with by the British then by the Dutchmen. In 1627, the latter took the control of the island named today Gorée (this name is the contraction de goede Reede, two Dutch words meaning “good splits”), and built a fort there. To the XVII ^E century, the French settled in their turn along the coasts of Senegal where, in 1659, they founded Saint-Louis. Advancing towards the south, they established other counters in Rufisque, Portudal and in Joal and, in 1677, invested Gorée.

To the XVII ^E and XVIII ^E centuries, the counters developed the bearing trade on gold, gum arabic, wax, spices and soon the slaves. Competition between the Dutchmen, the French and the British was sharp.

From 1677 to 1814, these European powers disputed the control of Senegal unceasingly. But the treaty of Paris signed on on May 30th, 1814 returned Senegal to France. The French influence was limited then to Saint-Louis, Gorée, Rufisque and at some river stopovers.

Since 1852, the French colonial policy took a new orientation with the nomination of the Faidherbe general as governor. In 1854, Louis Faidherbe undertook to widen the French domination with the whole of Senegal. Senegalese space, become object of conquest, was the first stage on the road of Western Sudan. In 1857, Faidherbe founded Dakar and organized the colony of Senegal, from which it made the base of the conquest of Western Africa. Military stations were created until in Casamance. East of Senegal, Faidherbe first of all pushed back Toucouleurs which, under the control of El-Hadj Omar, were then expanding (1857-1863). It rejected then the Moors in north and annexed the country ouolof (treated May 1858). The annexation of Cayor (1861-1865) made it possible to open the road connecting Saint-Louis to the peninsula of Cape Verde.

Resistance to the colonial conquest continued nevertheless. Driven out by the French, the damel (sovereign) of Cayor, Lat-Dior Diop, took again the power in 1878 and were opposed to the French. Conscious of their projects of expansion, it carried out of 1882 to 1884 a war without slackening, before being finally killed in 1886, with the battle of Dékhelé. In 1890, the French attacked Diolof and drove out its king, Alboury Ndiaye. This one gave its support for Ahmadou, son and successor of El-Hadj Omar, and continued the fight.

Other great names, like that of Mamadou Lamine Drama, are added to the long list of those which were opposed heroically to the French conquest. Under the impulse of Tinder Bamba Mbacké, founder of the mouridism to the XIX ^E century, and of Al-Hadj Malick Sy, the brotherhood tidjane, resistance was based on Islam, then in full revival. However, little by little, between 1876 and 1891, last resistances against the colonial occupation were successively defeats in Cayor, in high Senegal, in Boundou and in Casamance. Faidherbe launched a vast school policy, by creating the School of the Hostages in whom were to be sent the sons of chiefs.

The decree of June 16th, 1895 created the A-OF (Africa-Western Frenchwoman). In 1902, Saint-Louis lost its role of chief town of the A-OF to the profit of Dakar. The administrative limits of the colony were fixed in 1904. Senegal had a particular evolution within the A-OF: since 1848, the citizenship was granted to the free inhabitants of Senegal which was represented with the French Parliament by a deputy; in 1916, the French citizenship was extended to the inhabitants of the Four Communes (Dakar, Saint-Louis, Gorée and Rufisque) what gave them the right to elect municipal councils.

In 1914, Blaise Diagne was the first black deputy to enter to the French Parliament (he will be member of the French government in 1931). Itself and its successors, Galandou Diouf of 1934 to 1941, then Rolls Guèye and Léopold Sédar Senghor, played a crucial role in the fight against the abuses colonization then in walk towards independence. This francized elite which emerged after the Second world war was going to play a great part in the political arena and on the cultural ground, in particular with the assertion of the black conscience (the “negritude”).

During the First World War , France used its colony on the economic plan (contributions of food and raw materials) and especially soldier, by recruiting Senegalese riflemen. These regiments took part in the engagements on the African ground and 96' 000 of them were sent on the face in Europe, where they were characterized by their honesty and their courage.

Under the impulse of France and with the support of the marabouts mourides, the production of groundnut extended inside Senegal. In 1923, the completion of the railway line connecting Thiès to Bamako supported the diffusion of groundnut.

During the Second world war, the general governor of the A-OF, Pierre Drink, obeys initially at the French State installed in Vichy in June 1940, and, on on July 8th then on on September 24th, 1940, two British attacks against Dakar, supported by free France, turned to the failure. However, after the unloading of the Allies in North Africa, Senegal joined in free France on on December 7th, 1942.

On the other hand of their economic aid and military, the Senegaleses hoped to obtain an easing of the colonial mode. As France did not carry out the rehabilitation of the war veterans, a mutiny burst in Thiaroye (November 30th, 1944); its repression made 35 victims. The nationalist movement had already been active before the Second world war. In 1932-1934, the concept of negritude was forged by the Léopold Sédar Senghor Senegalese, the Inhabitant of Martinique Aime Césaire and the Guianese Leon-Gontran Damas.

In 1919, the first working strikes had contributed to wake up the national conscience and of the trade unions were created, which became legal in 1937. After the Second world war, the political parties played a leading role: French parties, and especially Senegalese or African parties, like the BDS (Senegalese democratic Block) become later the UDS (Senegalese democratic Union), bps (Senegalese popular Block) and the parliamentary group of Independent of overseas.

The reforms followed one another throughout the fifteen years which followed the world war. The Constitution of 1946 created the French Union, which amended of the colonies. The “empire” became the “French Union”; “colonies”, of the “departments and overseas territories”. The same year, a law abolishes the “indigénat”, the another forced labor. In 1952, the Labor regulation of overseas recognized with the Africans the right to paid vacation and the family benefits, and limited the weekly working time to 40 hours. In 1956, the outline law amended of the colonies of Black Africa by granting the vote for all to the populations, reinforced the powers of the territorial Assembly setting-up in 1946 and operated an administrative decentralization.

Lastly, the Constitution of 1958 transformed the French Union into the “French Community” and gave their autonomy to the colonies: subjected to referendum on on September 28th, the project collected in Senegal 80.7 % of favorable votes. The following year, Senegal and Sudan (Mali current) approached to form the Federation of Mali: the two countries thus hoped to fight against the fragmentation of the Black Africa in a multiplicity of States. The Federation of Mali reached independence on on June 20th, 1960 but burst as of August.

Senegal became an independent Republic on on August 20th, 1960. A new Constitution, promulgated five days later, establishes a parliamentary mode; Léopold Sédar Senghor was placed at the presidency, while Mamadou Dia was named chief of the government. In December 1962, a divergence on the interpretation of the Constitution opposed the two men. Dia was stopped. A new Constitution, adopted by referendum in 1963, founded a mode of the presidential type then, UPS (Senegalese Union progressist) becoming in fact the sole party. In 1969, the mode is softened, adopting a new Constitution.

One restored the post of Prime Minister, entrusted to Abdou Diouf (1970) and one founded (1974) the three-party government (UPS, PDS of Abdoulaye Wade and FEED of Majhemoud Diop). On December 31st, 1980, president Senghor announced that it left the power. In accordance with the Constitution, Abdou Diouf succeeded on on January 1st, 1981 to him. This same year, he issued the multi-party system. The Senegalese troops intervened in Gambia to repress a military putsch, and, the following year, was created with Gambia the confederation of Sénégambie; but a large number of Gambians did not want to see dissolving their national identity, and the confederation was dissolved in 1989. Elected official chair in 1983, re-elected in 1988 and in 1993, president Diouf had to face increasing difficulties, as well on the level external as on that of the interior policy.

In 1989, following an incident occurred at the border with Mauritania, violent ones confrontations opposed, in the capital, the Moors and the Senegaleses, leading to the expulsion of more than 100' 000 Black Mauritanians towards Senegal and, by reprisal, of an equivalent number Senegalese Moors towards Mauritania; the relations with Nouakchott remained suspended a long time - thus blocking the good performance of the OMVS (Organization for the development of the Senegal river), gathering Senegal, Mali and Mauritania; the diplomatic relations were joined again in 1992, but the causes of the conflict - with Senegal, economic competition of the two communities, and racist system of caste in Mauritania - always exist. In addition, the continuation since 1982 of the terrorist activities taken in Casamance by a separatist movement threatened the integrity even of a territory whose continuity is already largely started by the enclave of Gambia.

The Senegalese economy, seriously reached by the recurring dryness of the beginning of the year 1980, head on undergoes the consequences of the international crisis and the fall of the course of the raw materials, in particular of groundnut; these economic difficulties were at the origin of demonstrations which frequently degenerated into true disorders. The ceaseless popular, trade-union and student's fights gradually involved modifications in the political orientation and the work of the institutions. The opposition, from now on legal, increased considerably its pressure on the power and disputed several times, in particular in 1988, the regularity of the elections; the constitutional revisions all were directed towards the establishment of a political pluralism, whose for example the participation in the government testifies, of 1991 to 1993, of Abdoulaye Wade, chief of the Senegalese Democratic party (PDS).

But the dispute which followed the re-election of Abdou Diouf, in February 1993, and the riots of Dakar, in February 1994, opened a new crisis which calmed down only in March 1995, with the formation of a new government of national union. In addition, after having led, in 1992, to a serious tension with the Guinea-Bissau, shown by Dakar to be used as a basis back for the terrorist activities, the confrontations with the freedom fighters of Casamance - who had made thousands of died in sixteen years - continued; a cease-fire, proclaimed in 1995, led only to negotiations, and after a certain lull, the engagements redoubled intensity in 1998.

The legislative elections of May 1998 confirmed the erosion of the Socialist party, which obtained however the majority within the Parliament with 50.12 % of the votes, and the difficulty of the opposition of presenting an credible alternative. The perenniality of the conflict opposing the governmental troops to the men of the maquis of the Movement of the democratic forces of Casamance, which affected tourism industry, combined with the weaknesses of agriculture and the increase in the imports of basic food products, supported the decline of the economy, already threatened by the intervention of the country in the civil conflict bissau-Guinean. The nomination (in July 1998) of the economist Mamadou Lamine Loum in charge of the government and its will to continue the economic program (accompanied by privatizations) initiate by its predecessor, testified to the will of the power all to put in .uvre to leave the country economic stagnation.

The beginning of the year 2000 was marked by the election with the presidency of the Senegalese Republic of Abdoulaye Wade. Indeed, the candidate of the Face for alternation collected 58.5 % of the votes cast, beating with the second turn the outgoing president, Abdou Diouf, candidate of the Socialist party, with the power since independence. Opponent of long time, Abdoulaye Wade asserted himself, in spite of his soixante-treize years, like the architect of the change vis-a-vis a power considered to be unable to answer the social request of the young people, first victims of unemployment, and middle-classes of the big cities. To conclude the promised reforms, the new president and its Prime Minister Moustapha Niasse, candidate of opposition arrived in third position, announced the organization of a referendum on the institutions, the Constitution in force not allowing the Head of State to dissolve a Parliament where the Socialist party was in spite of very majority. In June, the diplomatic relations with Mauritania knew a renewal of tension in connection with the program of irrigation initiated by the Senegalese president. Indeed, nationals Senegalese transfer to notify their expulsion of territory Mauritanian by government of Nouakchott, after the Senegalese government had decided to draw from the Senegal river, which traced the common border between the two countries, water necessary to the realization of its project.

At the end of the month of April 2001, the government coalition “Sopi” (“change” in wolof) formed around president Wade left largely victorious the anticipated legislative elections organized after the dissolution of the Parliament. Obtaining 89 seats out of 120, Abdoulaye Wade saw himself voted by plebiscite by a population more than ever eager of reforms and new institutions.