Senegal: Flag and Facts
Senegal's flag has green, yellow, and red vertical bands of equal width, with a small green five-pointed star in the middle of the yellow band.
- Official name
- Republic of Senegal
- Capital
- Dakar
- Region
- Western Africa
- Population
- 19 million (2024)
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc
- Area
- 196,722 km² (75,955 sq mi)
- People
- Senegalese
- Calling code
- +221
- Highest point
- unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m
- Independence
- 4 April 1960 (from France)
- National symbols
- lion
- Borders
- Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania
About Senegal
Those are the Pan-African colors. Here green means hope, progress, and Islam, yellow means natural wealth, and red means sacrifice and determination. The green star means unity and hope. A lion serves as Senegal's emblem.
Human life here runs unbroken from the Paleolithic to now, something few countries can claim. The Jolof Empire ruled most of the land from the 14th to the 16th century. Sitting on Africa's western tip, Senegal became a key base for the European slave trade, centered on the island of Goree, and at its worst more than a third of the population was enslaved. France ended slavery in 1815 and pushed inland, making Senegal a colony later that century. It first became independent in 1960 as part of the Mali Federation, which split apart within months. A loose union with The Gambia, called Senegambia, lasted from 1982 to 1989.
Did you know?
- Senegal's anthem tells listeners to pluck their koras and strike the balafons.
- Senegal's top elevation is an unnamed hill near Nepen Diaka, only 648 meters up.
- Senegal is a little smaller than South Dakota.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Senegal
What is the capital of Senegal?
Dakar, with about 3.3 million people.
What currency does Senegal use?
The West African CFA franc.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.