Sénégal River 27629 225214322 2008-07-12T14:27:41Z Katpatuka 358024 /* External links */ removed waterandnature.org (not found; site seems to get reorganized) [[Image:ISS002-E-5456 2.JPG|right|thumb|[[Satellite|Satellite]] image of [[Sénégal River]]]] [[Image:Senegal River Saint Louis.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Fishermen on the bank of the Senegal River [[estuary]] at the outskirts of [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]]]] The '''Sénégal River''' is a 1790 [[kilometer|km]] long [[river]] in [[West Africa]], that forms the border between [[Senegal]] and [[Mauritania]]. It was called ''Bambotus'' by [[Pliny the Elder]] (from Phoenician "behemoth" for hippopotamus) and ''Nias'' by [[Claudius Ptolemy]]. It was visited by [[Hanno the Navigator|Hanno the Carthaginian]] around 450 BC at his navigation from [[Carthage]] through the [[pillars of Herakles]] to Theon Ochema ([[Mount Cameroon]]) in the [[Gulf of Guinea]]. There was trade from here to the [[Mediterranean]] World, until the destruction of Carthage and its west African trade net in 146 BC. As it is formed by the [[confluence]] of the [[Semefé River|Semefé]] (Bakoy) and [[Bafing River|Bafing]] rivers in [[Bafoulabé]], it is considered a sweet water river. The Semefé and Bafing rivers have their mutual source in [[Guinea]]; the Bafing River flows through [[Mali]] and the Semefé is on the Malinese-Senegalese border. Approaching its mouth, the Senegal passes through [[Biffeche]] and the island on which the city of [[Saint-Louis, Senegal]] is located, then turns south. It is separated from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] by a thin strip of sand called the [[Langue de Barbarie]] before it pours into the [[ocean]] itself. The river has two large [[dam]]s along its course, the [[Manantali Dam]] in Mali, and the [[Maka-Diama dam]] on the Mauritania-Senegal border, near the outlet to the sea. The Manantali dam was build as a reservoir. The Maka-Diama dam prevents access of salt water into the inner country. The Senegal River has a [[drainage basin]] of 483,181 km² and an estimated annual discharge of 8 million km³. Important [[tributary|tributaries]] are the [[Faleme River]], [[Karakoro River]], and the [[Gorgol River]]. In 1972 Mali, Mauritania and Senegal founded the [[Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal]] (OMVS) to manage the river basin. [[Guinea]] joined in 2005. ==External links== * [http://zope0.itcilo.org/delta/lmdd2003/news/1067611432/1068825691/presentation%20ressources%20en%20eau%20senegal.ppt the Hydrology of Senegal (powerpoint presentation)] {{DEFAULTSORT:Senegal River}} [[Category:Rivers of Senegal]] [[Category:Rivers of Mauritania]] {{Senegal-geo-stub}} [[af:Sénégalrivier]] [[ar:سينغال (نهر)]] [[ca:Riu Senegal]] [[cs:Senegal (řeka)]] [[de:Senegal (Fluss)]] [[et:Senegali jõgi]] [[es:Río Senegal]] [[eo:Senegalo (rivero)]] [[eu:Senegal ibaia]] [[fr:Sénégal (fleuve)]] [[gl:Río Senegal]] [[is:Senegalfljót]] [[it:Senegal (fiume)]] [[he:סנגל (נהר)]] [[sw:Senegal (mto)]] [[lt:Senegalas (upė)]] [[hu:Szenegál (folyó)]] [[nl:Sénégal]] [[ja:セネガル川]] [[no:Senegal (elv)]] [[nn:Senegalelva]] [[pl:Senegal (rzeka)]] [[pt:Rio Senegal]] [[ro:Fluviul Senegal]] [[ru:Сенегал (река)]] [[simple:Sénégal River]] [[fi:Senegal (joki)]] [[sv:Senegalfloden]] [[tr:Sénégal Nehri]] [[uk:Сенегал (ріка)]] [[wo:Dexub Senegaal]] [[zh:塞内加尔河]]