of Senegal's recorded history begins in the eighth century, when this region was part of the Empire of Ghana. With the disappearance of this empire became important Djolof's reign, destined to prosper in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in the area between the river and the current Dakar Senegal.
early sixteenth century, Portuguese traders were the first contacts with the coastal kingdoms with whom they traded throughout the next century before giving way to English, French and Dutch, who hoped in this way to gain control Saint-Louis and Gorée Island, strategic points where they can gather slaves for the Americas. Saint-Louis was finally subjected by the French in 1659.
the late nineteenth century France now controlled the entire Senegal, Dakar and developed as the administrative center of the colony. Already in 1848 the country had just left a French member of parliament, but only in 1914 was elected the first African deputy, Blaise Diagne, which was followed by a new generation of politicians of color led by Lamine Gueye and Leopold Sedar Senghor.
In the process towards independence, Senegal joined the French Sudan in the Federation of Mali which, while having achieved its goal in 1960, broke up two months later. The Senegal and then became a republic under the presidency of Léopold Senghor.
In 1980, Senghor (who died in France in December 2001, at age 95 years) resigned as president and was replaced by Abdou Diouf. The new president was involved in a serious crisis of the first government in 1984, when it was estimated that about 700,000 tons of peanuts (almost three times the amount of official exports) were smuggled to neighboring countries by the growers themselves, dissatisfied with the moderation by receiving fees from the government for their production.
In 1989 a small incident on the border between Mauritania and Senegal led to serious riots in both countries, which caused the death of many people. The two nations also deported thousands of people from the country's enemy (killing hundreds during the forcible transfer), closed the border each other and broke off diplomatic relations until April 1992.
In the early 90s in the Casamance region of violent clashes between the army and separatist rebels, fighting, in addition to the suffering caused to local people, damaged the tourist industry of Senegal, worsening the already desperate financial situation of the country.
in Casamance and in other parts of the country you have other episodes of violence in early 1993, following elections in which Diouf was elected president for the third time. After lengthy negotiations it was finally declared a cease-fire in July of that year and has since gradually returned to the Casamance peace, so that at the beginning of 1994 have also begun to return to the tourists.
Meanwhile, in other regions of the country's peace seemed far away and the government introduced austerity measures that caused the full-day general strike in early September '93 and sporadic outbreaks of violence in Dakar and other cities, during the months. The devaluation of national currency, the CFA in January 1994 also caused serious demonstrations in February and hundreds of people marched on Dakar's presidential palace, killing six policemen on guard. The government responded by sending special patrols in the streets of the capital and arrested on charges of conspiracy, the popular opposition leader, Abdoulaye Wade.
In the following months the situation remained relatively quiet Dakar, and Wade was released in May 1994. The presidential elections of March 2000 were the subject of a bitter political struggle between Diouf and Wade. After a second round of voting tense, Wade proved victorious and is now the new president of Senegal.
In recent months, the center of gravity of the conflict has shifted from the southern Casamance (on the border with Guinea-Bissau) to the northern Casamance, near the border with Ghana. The sinking of the Joola ferry, in November 2002, was a blow to the region, disrupting its faster and better links with the capital.
The last presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2007.
(Source: Lonely Planet)
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