African Country Web Page

Shelby R.

COUNTRY	POPULATION	SIZE (square miles)	POPULATION DENSITY (# of people per square mile)
USA	301,139,947	3,718,691	85
SENEGAL	12,521,851	75,749	169

Senegal was taken over by the French. They moved over to Africa to trade goods such as food, materials, and fabric. The French went to Senegal because of the good trading land they had by the river. Soon the French declared Senegal a permanent French possession, and they slowly took over all the land.

All in all, the French treated the people of Senegal fairly well because they wanted Africans to come into France. They built new schools and gave out scholarships for people to go study over in France. They also built some more railroads. But they did take away their land which was not one of the things that helped the people of Senegal.

I think that it mostly helped the people. It gave them things that they didn’t have before like more schools and railroads. They might have brought more money and better living styles too, but and the same time they took pretty much all of their land, which probably also brought changes to the way they live today.

The French gave Senegal a lot of things that might have a lot with they way they live today. Like more education chances and some more railroads. They also might have brought more money and living styles to the people. Which might have had and effect with the way they live and act today.

Senegal got its independence by joining the Mali Federation. This separated Senegal from the French and they were allowed to live freely. Senegal joined the Federation on June 20, 1960, but four months later the Federation broke up. Even so Senegal stayed an independent nation and it still is today.

Once Senegal became independent it has had a few problems with government along the way. President Abdou Diouf introduced austerity measures which led to strikes by the people and sporadic violence in multiple cites. They had also had a riot in February of 1994, when people lined up on the streets of Dakars’s presidential place. Six policemen were killed and finally president Diouf was arrested and accused of conspiracy.

Senegal is working on trying to make a peace treaty take place. Also, the President Wade arrested Prime Minster Idrissa Seck which upset the people. Slowly, tourists are staring to come back to Senegal to see the many sights, which is a good sign for the people there.

I believe that if Senegal had not been colonized that a lot of things might be different. The education level might be lower and the land might not be used for what it is used for now.