The plants of Senegal (06)

The southern edge of the Sahara cuts through northern and eastern Senegal. Due to the drought and advancing desert, northern Senegal has a savannah landscape with low grasses, shrubs and some acacias. Mangrove forests can be found in the estuaries of the Saloum and Gambia rivers. Mangrove forests, palm groves and tropical rainforest occur in the vicinity of the Casamance River.

 The dry regions are home to Africa's most characteristic tree: the baobab or monkey bread tree, also the national tree of Senegal. The baobab grows about 20 metres tall and can live for more than 1,000 years. The bark, fruit, leaves, wood, almost everything from this tree is used by the population. In the southern half of Senegal, the kapok tree is very prominent; if only because the kapok tree can grow more than 50 metres tall.