Land+and+Climate+(Alexandre)



Land and Climate



Senegal lies in the westernmost point in all of Africa. This country is about the size of the U.S state South Dakota, and covers 75,749 square miles. A large portion of the country north of The Gambia (a seperate country that borders Senegal to the southwest) is flat, with rolling plains and few trees. Some of Northern Senegal lies in Africa's semiarid Sahel region and is likely to have desertification. The southeast part of Senegal has plateaus that rise over 1,600 feet. The southeast also includes forests and seasonally flooded lowlands. Much of Senegal is subject to drought, overgazing, and deforestation. Dakar is the capital, and is a major port for West Africa.

Senegal has a tropical climate with warm temperatures all year-round. The hot, humid rainy season is about July to September, depending on the season, and in this season temperatures commonly reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy season brings almost all of the annual precipitation. There is about 22 inches of annual rainfall in Dakar, but in the Casamance region there is more than 60 inches. Temperatures vary during the dry season (December-April), with highs around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The coastal areas, like Dakar, generally have cooler temperatures than the rest of the country.

 In the southwest, Senegal is hot and wet. On the edge of the monsoon (a seasonal wind that brings lots of rain), it has four to five months of rain. There are dense forests, and mangrove (a bunch of short trees in a swamp) creeks and also a wide variety of birdlife, such as flamingos, pelicans, and herons. The north is also hot, and this area is on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The soil is sandy and certain winds can cause sandstorms.



Senegal is home to some of the most photographed beaches in the world. Senegal is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The country's highest point is 581 meters. Senegal is bordered by Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. There is about 531 km of coastline. The natural disasters that affect Senegal are floods and droughts.

 