The Politics of National Languages in Postcolonial Senegal By Ib ...

The most dominant language communities are distributed as follows:

There are also other local communities of foreign origin established in Senegal as a result of the ease of crossing the country's borders both before and after the country achieved independence. The porosity of the borders between member countries of the former French West Africa was enhanced by the Dakar-Niger and Dakar-Bamako railway links, both established by the French colonial power. Exchanges among the countries were favoured by reasonable political, economic, and social stability, as well as by the better educational opportunities that were available in Senegal. As a result, a large influx of immigrants began to arrive in Senegal as early as the 1950s, seeking employment and education. The migrants were mainly from the Republic of Guinea (largely due to Sékou Touré's heavy-handed political system that had been in place since 1958) and from Mali (because of the easy mobility offered by the previously mentioned railway link). Although the Guinean immigrants have spread into several locations in the country, the Malian immigrants are mainly concentrated in Tambacounda, Thiès, and some areas in Dakar. Motivated by business, commercial, and educational opportunities, immigrants from Mauritania and a significant number from Gambia and Guinea Bissau have also settled in Senegal. However, there has been a more recent pattern of immigration from distant areas, mainly