---
title: "Senegal — capital, area, population and currency"
description: "Senegal: capital Dakar, area 196,722 km², population 18,931,966 (2025), currency West African CFA franc. Languages, time zones and calling code."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country/senegal/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Senegal

**Senegal: Capital Dakar**

196,722 km² · 18,931,966 people (2025) · West African CFA franc

Pointe des Almadies near Dakar is the westernmost point of mainland Africa. Lake Retba turns bright pink in the dry season from salt-loving algae, and is salty enough to float in. The Gambia forms an enclave running most of the way across the country.

## The facts

- **Capital:** Dakar
- **Area:** 196,722 km² — 75,955 sq mi
- **Population:** 18,931,966 (2025)
- **Density:** 96.2 people per km²
- **Currency:** West African CFA franc (XOF, Fr)
- **Official language:** French
- **Time zone:** UTC+00:00
- **Calling code:** +221
- **Drives on the:** right
- **ISO codes:** SN · SEN
- **Continent:** Africa

## How it compares

- **By area:** 87 of 200
- **By population:** 69 of 200

> Population is the only figure on this page that dates — it is a 2025 estimate and will drift. Area, capital, currency, languages, calling code and driving side change rarely or never.

## Countries of a similar size

| Country | Area (km²) | Population |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Belarus | 207,600 | 9,085,991 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 199,951 | 7,343,064 |
| Senegal ← | 196,722 | 18,931,966 |
| Syria | 187,437 | 25,620,427 |
| Cambodia | 181,035 | 17,847,982 |

## Common questions

### What is the capital of Senegal?

Dakar

### What currency does Senegal use?

The West African CFA franc (XOF).

### How big is Senegal?

196,722 km², or 75,955 square miles — 87 of 200 by area.

### Which side of the road does Senegal drive on?

The right.

## Related pages

- [Belarus](https://atoneplace.net/country/belarus/)
- [Kyrgyzstan](https://atoneplace.net/country/kyrgyzstan/)
- [Syria](https://atoneplace.net/country/syria/)
- [Cambodia](https://atoneplace.net/country/cambodia/)
- [Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country/nigeria/)
- [Ethiopia](https://atoneplace.net/country/ethiopia/)
- [Egypt](https://atoneplace.net/country/egypt/)
- [Democratic Republic of the Congo](https://atoneplace.net/country/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/)
- [Tanzania](https://atoneplace.net/country/tanzania/)
- [South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/country/south-africa/)
- [Kenya](https://atoneplace.net/country/kenya/)
- [Sudan](https://atoneplace.net/country/sudan/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- World Bank Open Data — The World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) [CC BY 4.0]