A great West African river forming the border between Senegal and Mauritania on the edge of the Sahara.
Length
1,086 km
Source
Fouta Djallon, Guinea
Mouth
Atlantic Ocean
Continent
Africa
Countries
Guinea, Mali, Mauritania & Senegal
Did you know?
The Senegal's valley is a green ribbon of farmland cutting through the dry Sahel, supporting millions.
Little-known fact
The island of Saint-Louis at its mouth was the first French settlement in Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage city.
Highlights
- A lifeline of the Sahel
- Borders Senegal and Mauritania
- Mouth guarded by historic Saint-Louis
Life in the Senegal
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Animals & fish
Hippopotamus
Africa’s river giant spends its days submerged and is, pound for pound, among the continent’s most dangerous animals.
Nile crocodile
Africa’s largest crocodile and a patient ambush hunter little changed since the age of dinosaurs.
Waterbirds
African fish eagle
The ringing call of this black-white-and-chestnut raptor is the iconic “voice of Africa” by the water.
Water plants & reeds
Papyrus
The towering reed of the Nile that the ancient Egyptians turned into the world’s first paper.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here