Republic of Senegal, located at the westernmost point of the continent and served by multiple air and maritime travel routes, Senegal is known as the 'Gateway to Africa'.
With an area of 196,722 km2, it is bordered to the north by Mauritania, to the east by Mali, to the south by Guinea and Guinea Bissau, to the west by Gambia, and by the Atlantic Ocean on a front of 500 km. Dakar (550 km2), the capital, is a peninsula located in the far west.
The economy of Senegal is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in rural areas, despite abundant natural resources in iron, zircon, gas, gold, phosphates, and numerous oil discoveries recently. Senegal's economy derives most of its foreign exchange from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism, and services.
Among Senegal’s priorities for economic development are leveraging its mineral wealth, developing renewable energy sources, and expanding exploitation of large, offshore natural gas reserves. Senegal’s imminent gas production places it in a unique position amid the global energy transition. It also has large reserves of phosphate and gold.