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 and in the 2023 census the population of the town had increased to 27,695. 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.

Mining

Matam has phosphate mines in the vicinity.

Climate

Matam has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh in Köppen climate classification), closely bordring on desert climate(BWh), with little to no rainfall in all months except July, August and September.

Notable people