Ferlo

The Ferlo is a semi-desert sylvo-pastoral zone of the North-East of the Senegal, which owes its name with a small river, the Ferlo.

Climate, vegetation, fauna

Of a surface of 70.000 km ² - that is to say more than one third of the national territory -, this great area is in the south of the basin of the Fleuve Senegal and belonged to the zone sahélienne.

The central geographical coordinates are of 15,88° NR and 15,25° W, altitude is approximately 25 Mr. Même if one speaks sometimes about " valley of Ferlo" , the ground remains relatively flat.

The climate is of type tropical, semi-arid, monomodal with very hot alternative. Annual precipitations are about 300 mm (381 mm with the station-weather of Linguère). The Harmattan contributes to it to the erosion of the grounds and the Désertification, still worsened by cyclic Sécheresse S, like those of 1973 or 1983 - 84.

The vegetation is sparse there. The landscapes are those of the Savane, of the Steppe, the dune. The thorn-bushes survive it more easily than of other species. One finds there several varieties of Acacia S, Acacia seyal and especially Acacia Senegal - that from which one extracts the Gum arabic -, but also with the Anacardier S. At the rain season, the area is covered with a fine herbaceous carpet, but the remainder of the year the grounds are with naked and particularly vulnerable.

The goats dispute the growths with the herds of Zébu S carried out by the shepherds Peuls. One meets there also many birds, of large Calao S, as well as monkeys Patas.

Two natural reserves were arranged in the area, on both sides of Ranérou: the Reserve of fauna of Northern Ferlo (RF) and the Reserve of fauna of Southern Ferlo (RF).

Population

Old zone of transhumance and safety of the shepherds peuls, Ferlo underwent important transformations. The policies of pastoral hydraulics followed in the Années 1950 encouraged the sedentarisation of the population which gathered around the permanent water points that the places of drilling constitute.

The density is low, the villages of boxes rare and are insulated.

With a little more than 13.000 inhabitants, Linguère has the appearance of a big city in this zone.

Economic resources

It is stripped an enough area where the living conditions become increasingly difficult. The population practices the extensive breeding. The gathering and agriculture are in regression, but one cultivates nevertheless Mil, Niébé, Arachide and Pastèque S. the gum arabic is produced starting from the exsudat acacia.

See too

Geography of Deserted Senegal
of Lompoul

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Ferlo

Climate, vegetation, fauna

Population

Economic resources

See too

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