Welcome to Tambacounda

As I stated earlier, I’m living in the Tambacounda region of Senegal. The region of Tambacounda borders the countries of Mauritania to the north and northeast, Mali to the east, Kedougou to the south and southeast and The Gambia to the southwest. Tamba is the largest geographic region in all of Senegal. Niokolo Koba National Park is located within the region and as of a few years ago, Kedougou was a department of the Tamba region.

Ethnically, the area is predominately Pulaar and Mandinka though there are many other ethnic groups represented in this area (Bambara, Bassari, Jaxanke, and Wolof). The majority of volunteers assigned to this area speak Mandinka or Pulaar, but in the bigger towns French and Wolof is very helpful.

Tamba is known as one of the hottest inhabited places on the earth, a fact in which many of the area volunteers take great pride. The months of April, May, and June tend to be the hottest. Approximately, 700-1500 mm of rain falls between the months of May and October each year. After the first couple of rains, the temperature decreases and it is noticeably more comfortable though slightly more humid. Temperatures range from 60°F to a maximum of about 140°F.
The region is primarily wooded savannah, but vegetation can vary from shrub savannah to the more forested areas in the south. Koumpentoum is primarily savannah though.

The newest members of the Tamba Nation