This article describes the system of transport in Senegal, both public and private.This system comprises roads (both paved and unpaved), rail transport, water transport, and air transportation.

Roads

The system of roads in Senegal is extensive by

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

n standards, with paved roads reaching each corner of the country and all major towns.

International highways

Dakar is the endpoint of three routes in the

Trans-African Highway network The Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union in conjunction with reg ...

. These are as follows: * Cairo-Dakar Highway which crosses the edge of the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

* Dakar-Ndjamena Highway which links the countries of the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

, also called the Trans-Sahelian Highway * Dakar-Lagos Highway running along the West African coast and called by the

Economic Community of West African States The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political union, political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an ...

(ECOWAS) the

Trans–West African Coastal Highway The Trans–West African Coastal Highway or TAH 7 is a transnational highway project to link 12 West African coastal nations, from Mauritania in the north-west of the region to Nigeria in the east, with feeder roads already existing to two landloc ...

(though ECOWAS considers this route to start in

Nouakchott , image_skyline = Nouakchott.jpg , image_caption = City view of Nouakchott , pushpin_map = Mauritania#Arab world#Africa , pushpin_relief = 1 , mapsize = , map_caption ...

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

). Senegal's road network links closely with those of

the Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

, since the shortest route between south-western districts on the one hand and west-central and north-western districts on the other is through the Gambia.

Motorways

The only operational motorway in Senegal currently runs for 34 km. between

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

and

Diamniadio Diamniadio is a town in Senegal. History Diamniadio is a part of the collective development program of the government of Senegal under the leadership of President Macky Sall to revitalize Senegal's economy. The development of the new city is ta ...

, and it is a toll motorway. A new part of the motorway, of 16.5 km. is currently under construction, which will reach the

Blaise Diagne International Airport Blaise Diagne International Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport international Blaise Diagne, ) is an international airport near the town of Diass in Thiès Region, Senegal, east of downtown Dakar. It serves as the main airport for Dakar, replac ...

. Another section of 50 km. is also under construction, linking the airport to

Thiès Thiès (; ar, ثيس, Ṯyass; Noon: ''Chess'') is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-L ...

; and the 115 km. stretch from Thiès to

Touba Touba (Hassaniya Arabic: , 'Felicity'; Wolof: Tuubaa) is a city in central Senegal, part of Diourbel Region and Mbacké district. With a population of 529,176 in 2010, it is the second most populated Senegalese city after Dakar. It is the holy ...

, the final destination of the planned motorway, will start under construction in the near future.

National roads

The most important roads in Senegal are prefixed "N" and numbered from 1 to 7: * N1:

–

Mbour M'Bour or Mbour ( ar, مبور; Wolof: ''Mbuur''), is a city in the Thiès Region of Senegal. It lies on the Petite Côte, approximately eighty kilometers south of Dakar. It is home to a population of nearly 233,000 (2013 census). The city's m ...

Fatick Fatick ( wo, Fatik, srr, Fatik) is a town in Senegal, located between M'bour and Kaolack and inhabited by the Serer people. Its 2005 population was estimated at 24,243. It is the capital of the Fatick Region and the Fatick Department. Toponymy ...

Kaolack Kaolack ( ar, كاولاك; wo, Kawlax) is a town of 172,305 people (2002 census) on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an ...

–

Tambacounda Tambacounda ( ar, تامباكوندا; Wolof: Tambaakundaa ) is the largest city in eastern Senegal, southeast of Dakar, and is the regional capital of the province of the same name. Its estimated population in 2007 was 78,800. Geography Tamb ...

–

Kidira Kidira is a town and commune in Tambacounda Region of eastern Senegal, lying near the Malian border. Its population in 2013 was about 10,000. Transport It is an important transport hub and lies on the N1 and N2 roads, the Dakar – Bamako r ...

– (

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

) * N2: Pout –

–

Louga Louga ( ar, لوجا; Wolof: Luga) is a town in northwestern Senegal. Louga is a cattle market centre, and has road and rail links with the port city of Saint-Louis to the northwest and Dakar to the southwest. The area surrounding Louga is a ...

- St-Louis –

Richard Toll Richard Toll is a town in northern Senegal, lying on the south bank of the River Senegal, just east of Rosso. Originally a colonial town, it was named for the park of the Château de Baron Roger, laid out by botanist Jean Michel Claude Richard. ...

–

Ouro Sogui Ouro Sogui or Ourossogui lies in Matam Region in eastern Senegal on the N2 and N3 roads, just south west of Matam on the River Senegal. It is an important market town and transport hub A transport hub is a place where passengers and c ...

–

- (

) * N3:

–

Diourbel Diourbel ( ar, ديوربل; Serer: ''Jurbel'', Wolof: ''Njaaréem'') is a town in Senegal lying east of Thiès. It is known for its mosque and local groundnut industry and is the capital of the Diourbel Region. The population in 2013 was 1 ...

–

Linguère Linguère (or Lingeer in SererKlein, Martin A. "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914." Edinburgh University Press (1968) pp 11-15 & 262 and Wolof) is a town located in the Linguère Department, Louga Region of Senegal. ...

–

* N4:

– (

Trans-Gambia Highway The Trans-Gambia Highway is a major highway in The Gambia, running across the centre of the nation in a north–south direction. Within the Gambia, the highway consists of two main stretches, the North Bank Road and South Bank Road, each corres ...

) –

Bignona Bignona is a town with commune status located in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal (Casamance). It briefly appears in the movie ''Binta and the Great Idea.'' Its population on 2013 was 27,826. Notable people *Landing Savané, politician *Ibrahi ...

–

Ziguinchor Ziguinchor (; wo, Siggcoor ; ar, زيغينكور) is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000 (2007 estimate). It ...

– (

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

) * N5:

– Diouloulou – (

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

) -

Sokone Sokone is a town in the Fatick Region of central Senegal. Sokone is a tranquil town on the south-eastern Sine-Saloum Delta amid the mangroves. It is located on the N5 road from Kaolack to Banjul, 50 km south of Kaolack and 66 km north ...

* N6:

–

Vélingara Vélingara is a town located in the Kolda Region of Senegal. It is slightly north of the large 48 km Vélingara crater though the structure's impact origin is still unconfirmed.S. Wade, M. Barbieri, J. Lichtenegger (2001The Velingara Circular S ...

Kolda Kolda ( ar, كولدا; Wolof: Koldaa) is a city located in southern Senegal. It is the capital city of Kolda Region and Kolda Department, a region known historically and popularly as Haute Casamance. History The name Kolda derives from the nam ...

–

– (

) * N7:

–

Niokolo-Koba The Niokolo-Koba National Park (french: Parc National du Niokolo Koba, PNNK) is a World Heritage Site and natural protected area in south eastern Senegal near the Guinea border. It is served by Niokolo-Koba Airport, an unpaved airstrip. National ...

–

Kédougou Kédougou (Wolof: Keédugu) is a town in the Kédougou Region of south-eastern Senegal near the border with Mali and Guinea. It lies at an elevation of above sea level. Founded in the early 20th century by the Malinké people, Kédougou means ...

–

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Regional roads

* R20, R21,

R22 R22 may refer to: Roads * R22 road (Belgium) * R-22 regional road (Montenegro) * R22 highway (Russia) * R22 (South Africa) Vessels * , a destroyer of the Royal Navy * , an aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy * , a submarine of the United ...

* R30, R31, R32 *

R60 R60 may refer to: Automobiles * BMW R60, a motorcycle * Mini Countryman (R60), a sport utility vehicle * Toyota Noah (R60), a minivan Other uses

* R-60 (missile), a Soviet air-to-air missile * R60 (South Africa), a road * Aeryon SkyRanger ...

R61 R61 may refer to: * R61 (South Africa) The R61 is a long provincial route in South Africa that connects Beaufort West with Port Shepstone via Graaff-Reinet, Komani (previously Queenstown), Mthatha and Port Edward. The R61 is co-signed with the ...

* R70

Railways

''total:'' 906 km
''narrow gauge:'' 906 km of gauge (70 km double track)

Maps

UN Map

Ground transport

There were an estimated 4,271 km of

paved road A road surface (British English), or pavement (American English), is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, hoggin, cob ...

s and 10,305 km of unpaved roads as of 1996.

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

s (black-yellow or blue-yellow in color) are cheap, numerous and available everywhere in

. It is customary to negotiate the fare since most

meters The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

installed in the taxis are broken or missing. For travel outside Dakar,

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

is available but often unreliable and uncomfortable.

Waterways

897 km total; 785 km on the

Senegal river ,french: Fleuve Sénégal) , name_etymology = , image = Senegal River Saint Louis.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Fishermen on the bank of the Senegal River estuary at the outskirts of Saint-Louis, Senegal ...

, and 112 km on the

Saloum The Kingdom of Saloum (Serer language: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer people, Serer/Wolof people, Wolof monarchy, kingdom in present-day Senegal. Its kings may have been of Mandinka people, Mandinka/Kaabu origin. The capital of Saloum wa ...

River.

Ports and harbours

railhead In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include, but are ...

, Matam,

Podor Podor (Wolof: Podoor) is the northernmost town in Senegal, lying on Morfil Island between the Sénégal River and Doué River on the border with Mauritania. It was the location of the ancient state Takrur. It is home to a ruined French colonial ...

, Saint-Louis,

has one of the largest deep-water

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

s along the

n coast. Its deep-draft structure and access channel allows round-the-clock access to the

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

. Its current

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

includes tanker vessel loading and unloading terminals, a

container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...

terminal with a storage capacity of 3000 20-foot-equivalent units, a cereals and

fishing port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

, a dedicated

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

terminal and a privately run ship repair facility. The port's location at the extreme western point of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, at the crossroad of the major sea-lanes linking

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, makes it a natural port of call for

shipping companies The following articles list companies that operate ships: * List of freight ship companies for companies that own and operate the freight ships (Bulk Carriers, Container Ships, Roll-on/Roll-off (for Freights), Tankers and Gas Carriers). ** List o ...

. Total

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...

traffic averages 10 million metric tons.

Airports

There were an estimated 20

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

s in 1999.

Diass Ndiass is a village and rural community in the M'bour Department in the Thies Region of Senegal. It is located southeast of Dakar. According to PEPAM (Programme d'eau potable et d'assainissement du Millénaire), Ndiass has a population of 4794. ...

became the hub of the sub-region.Senegal Country Commercial Guide 2008
.

U.S. Commercial Service The United States Commercial Service (CS) is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. CS is a part of the U.S. Foreign Service and its commercial officers are diplomats. The CS global netwo ...

(2008). Dakar is linked to numerous African cities by air, and daily flights go to

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

flies daily to/from Atlanta/Dakar/Johannesburg.

South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier airline of South Africa. Founded in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and operated a hub-and-spoke network, serving ten destin ...

flies daily to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

via Dakar. The old

Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport international Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, ) is an international freight and former passenger airport serving Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The airport is situated near the t ...

is now only exists as a

cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...

hub.

References

CIA Fact Book for SG

External links

{{Motorways in Africa