Sénégal River
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/* 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]]