Officially, Senegal has French listed as its official language. Arabic is also widely spoken. Despite this, Wolof is the most common spoken language and serves as a symbol that is indicative of what I have learned so far in regards to Senegalese culture.
There are a number of important Senegalese symbols that I could have chosen, including Ataya, a tea ceremony which is an important and social event that holds significant meaning, or the Senegalese flag, which is representative of Senegalese independence and is representative of national values.
Wolof (whose name comes from the Wolof tribe) is a lingua franca language in Senegal. Delana Sobhani describes her experience as a traveller in Senegal and the importance of Wolof as a language and symbol in a blog like article. She explains how in a country with a large number of ethnicities and over 38 languages, Wolof is spoken most commonly and is the vernacular. Sobhani further describes the appreciation and happiness caused when a foreigner attempts to speak Wolof to a local.
It is extremely rare for a country with so many different languages and groups to unite and adopt a common language, and I believe it speaks volumes of the people and culture of Senegal. This is perhaps why all travel pages and descriptions of Senegal describe it as an extremely stable country, which is welcoming to visitors.
As far as I am aware (and I am currently not very aware), there is some resistance within certain places of Senegal to the use of Wolof, but it is still spoken and it is not an issue that interferes with the security of the country.
I would like to further research whether the adoption of Wolof has occurred at the expense of other native languages.
Salaam alaykum (peace be unto you)
References (in order):
Melbourne to Senegal: A travel blog 