Present-day Senegal becomes in the fourteenth century part of Mali: it forms the centre of this country. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the area came under the influence of the Mandingo/a> empires to the east. The Wolof Kingdom was founded also during this time. Wolof is destroyed by the sixteenth century by Fulbe. At the banks of the River Senegal Portugal and the Netherlands as well as France (1626) found in the seventeenth century settlements. Somewhat more to the north France founds Saint-Louis in 1650.

In 1677 the Dutch settlers are expelled by the French and the coast of Senegal becomes a French colony. Between 1758 and 1779 and between 1809 and 1816 Senegal is occupied by Britain. Between 1840 and 1865 France conquers the whole of Senegal. The island of Gorée becomes a separate colony in 1854, named Colony of Gorée and Dependencies, also including Gabon. In 1859 Gorée is reincorporated into Senegal. Senegal becomes a constituent part of French West Africa in 1904.

Inside French West Africa Senegal becomes in 1946 a French overseas territory. After the dissolution of French West Africa in 1958, Senegal gets autonomy as the Republic of Senegal. Mamadou Dia of the UPS becomes prime minister. Senegal becomes part of the Mali Federation in 1959, but shortly after the independence of the Mali Federation in 1960 Senegal leaves the Federation.

Senegal becomes thereby a separate independent republic. The country is a one-party state lead by the Union Progressiste Sénégalaise (Senegalese Progressive Union, UPS), since Progressive Union of Senegal. The leader of this party, Léopold Sédar Senghor, becomes president. Leopold Sedar Senghor, internationally known poet, politician, and statesman, was elected Senegal's first president in August 1960. Senghor and prime minister Mamadou Dia govern together under a parliamentary system. In 1962 their political rivalry leads to an attempted coup by Dia. Although this is put down without bloodshed, Dia is arrested and imprisoned. and Senegal adopts a new presidential constitution.

In 1974 Senegal sets steps towards a multi-party system. The UPS is renamed Parti Socialiste du Sénégal (Socialist Party of Senegal, PSS) in 1976. The main opposition party is the liberal democratic Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (Senegalese Democratic Party, PDS) and at the same time In 1980 Senghor decides to retire from politics and he handed power over in 1981 to his handpicked successor, Abdou Diouf. Diouf slowly develops the country into a presidential democracy. In 1982 a separatist rebellion of the Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques du Casamance (Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance, MFDC) starts in Casamance. Only as late as 2000 the opposition succeeds in winning the presidential elections and Abdoulaye Wade, of the PDS, becomes president. Senegal experiences its second peaceful transition of power and its first from one political party to another.