The Copeland Ramblings/

8 days! Last Sunday Lunch and Senegal Fact #11

8 days left. Can it really be coming this soon?  Our heads are swimming with little details and loose ends. We are making lists all over the place. We are trying not to burn ourselves out either and take a break when needed! Last night we placed a geocache near here. We had been meaning to get to that for a long time now… nothing like a fast approaching deadline to get you finish up your to do lists! =)  The kids have been tired and a little grumpy from their shots. Especially Emmaus, he was vaccinated for 9 different things in one day! Poor guy. Here are a couple pictures from the last couple of days!

Emmaus loves his teddy bears!

Banana bread! I made 2 loaves and froze them to take and use as breakfast the first week or so!

Canaan the underwear monster!!

This Sunday will be our last time at church here in California. We are sad to say goodbye to everyone. We will be at each of the three services, just saying a few words during the service. Then at the end of church we will be having a pizza lunch. It will be a great time to ask any questions that you have or just to say goodbye! We are so looking forward to this time with friends and family! It will truly be a bittersweet day! If you will be in the area let us know if you want to come and we will give you details!

Well, now for Senegal fact #11!!  I guess I will go back to the CIA world fact book. Again, please let us know if you have questions!!  If you get bored reading about the economy… make sure you read the last little bit about energy consumption! SO interesting!

Economy – overview:In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal’s currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during 1995-2008. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the single digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. High unemployment, however, continues to prompt illegal migrants to flee Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe. Senegal was also beset by an energy crisis that caused widespread blackouts in 2006 and 2007. The phosphate industry has struggled for two years to secure capital, and reduced output has directly impacted GDP. In 2007, Senegal signed agreements for major new mining concessions for iron, zircon, and gold with foreign companies. Firms from Dubai have agreed to manage and modernize Dakar’s maritime port, and create a new special economic zone. Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF’s Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal has benefited from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt. In 2007, Senegal and the IMF agreed to a new, non-disbursing, Policy Support Initiative program. In September 2009, Senegal signed a Compact with the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation, which will provide $540 million in infrastructure development, primarily in road construction along Senegal’s northern and southern borders, in conjunction with adjacent irrigation and agriculture projects.
Unemployment rate:48% (2007 est.)country comparison to the world: 192
Population below poverty line:54% (2001 est.)
Agriculture – products:peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish
Industries:agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Current account balance:-$1.437 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141  -$975 million (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities: fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
Exports – partners: Mali 19.2%, India 9.4%, France 5.4%, Gambia, The 5.3%, Italy 4.8% (2008)
Imports – commodities:food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
Imports – partners:France 19.9%, UK 15.3%, China 6.8%, Belgium 4.6%, Thailand 4.5%, Netherlands 4.1% (2008)
Electricity – consumption:1.384 billion kWh (2007 est.)  as compared to the United States: 3.873 trillion kWh and (2008 est.) and compared to Guinea: 790.5 million kWh (2007 est.) What a difference!!!!

On this day..

• Transition - 2011
• Welcome to the World Noah! - 2008
• Another Dana Update - 2008
• Dana Update - 2008