Senegal

Senegal faces the Atlantic around the Cap-Vert peninsula and extends inland across Sahelian plains, river valleys and the greener Casamance in the south. Rainfall increases markedly from north to south. Earth and laterite, timber, palm materials and thatch have long supported courtyard compounds and shaded dwellings, while coastal and river cities also developed masonry traditions; ventilation and protection from sun and seasonal rain remain key climatic responses.