Each region of Senegal is home to a different ethnic group that has its own language. For example, my village of Ndiaganiao is home to the Serrer ethnic group, so most people speak Serrer as their first language. Due to this ethnic diversity, most Senegalese people speak three languages or more! In Ndiaganiao, most people also speak Wolof (Senegal's national language), and French (the government language). Besides speaking English and French, I'm currently learning how to speak Wolof and Serrer.
The Senegalese money system is called the West African franc (CFA) for short, and it is used by eight countries in West Africa. Currently, 1 US Dollar equals 610 CFA. Like in the U.S.A., Senegal has paper money and coins. There are coins for 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 francs, while there are paper bills for 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000 francs. The 10,000 franc bill equals 16.5 US Dollars.
In Senegal, water is sold in tiny plastic pouches that you tear open with your teeth! A single bag of water costs 50 francs (7 dollars). Since Senegalese tap water isn't safe to drink, I always buy ten liter (2.5 gallon) jugs of water that cost 1,000 francs (1.63 dollars). Water is much cheaper than in the United States!
