Town in Matam, Senegal
Matam (Hassaniya Arabic: ماتام; Wolof: Mataam) is the capital town of the Matam Region in north-east Senegal, and lies on the Sénégal River on the border with Mauritania. In the census of 2002, Matam had 14,620 inhabitants. In 2007, according to official estimates, the population of the town had increased to 17,324.
In 1996, the Upper Senegal River Valley, stretching from Matam to Diamou in Mali was cited as one of the poorest and most inaccessible regions in the western Sahel.[1]
Mining
Matam has phosphate mines in the vicinity.[2]
Climate
Matam has a hot desert climate (BWh) with little to no rainfall in all months except July, August and September.
| Climate data for Matam (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973-present)
|
| Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
| Record high °C (°F)
|
45.4
(113.7)
|
48.4
(119.1)
|
46.2
(115.2)
|
48.5
(119.3)
|
48.5
(119.3)
|
49.0
(120.2)
|
48.2
(118.8)
|
45.6
(114.1)
|
47.0
(116.6)
|
45.0
(113.0)
|
46.0
(114.8)
|
42.5
(108.5)
|
49.0
(120.2)
|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
33.8
(92.8)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
40.0
(104.0)
|
42.7
(108.9)
|
43.7
(110.7)
|
41.6
(106.9)
|
37.5
(99.5)
|
35.4
(95.7)
|
35.9
(96.6)
|
39.3
(102.7)
|
38.3
(100.9)
|
34.9
(94.8)
|
38.3
(100.9)
|
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
16.4
(61.5)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
21.5
(70.7)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
27.6
(81.7)
|
27.9
(82.2)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
25.0
(77.0)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
20.8
(69.4)
|
17.5
(63.5)
|
23.0
(73.4)
|
| Record low °C (°F)
|
9.6
(49.3)
|
10.0
(50.0)
|
12.0
(53.6)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
19.0
(66.2)
|
16.8
(62.2)
|
18.5
(65.3)
|
17.4
(63.3)
|
14.8
(58.6)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
13.6
(56.5)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
9.6
(49.3)
|
| Average precipitation mm (inches)
|
0.1
(0.00)
|
0.5
(0.02)
|
0.1
(0.00)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
2.5
(0.10)
|
22.4
(0.88)
|
94.9
(3.74)
|
147.1
(5.79)
|
99.0
(3.90)
|
18.8
(0.74)
|
0.2
(0.01)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
385.6
(15.18)
|
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.3
|
2.5
|
6.6
|
8.8
|
7.5
|
1.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
27.4
|
| Mean monthly sunshine hours
|
266.6
|
252.0
|
291.4
|
297.0
|
297.6
|
270.0
|
272.8
|
257.3
|
252.0
|
275.9
|
270.0
|
176.7
|
3,179.3
|
| Percent possible sunshine
|
77
|
78
|
79
|
80
|
75
|
70
|
69
|
66
|
70
|
77
|
80
|
51
|
73
|
| Source: NOAA (sunshine 1961–1990)[3][4][5]
|
Senegal
