Looking like a caricature of some square-jawed, cackling woman with a mouthful of Gambia, Senegal sits at the westernmost edge of the African continent. Its borders are met by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, Mali to the east, Mauritania to the north and the North Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country as a whole is slightly smaller than Great Britain or the US state of South Dakota.
Senegal's climate is pleasantly tropical, with Dakar ranking as one the coolest, breeziest spots in West Africa. The country's average daily temperatures range from 18°C (65°F) and 31°C (87°F). In the north and central parts, the wet season lasts from July to September, while in the Casamance it's about a month longer on either end. Rainfall averages range from 300mm (12in) in the north to as much as six times that in the south; Dakar gets over 600mm (24in) annually. The dry season (December to April) is plagued by the hot, dry harmattan winds.
