Dakar City
Location
Dakar is the capital of Senegal and the westernmost point in Africa. It is located on the Cape Verde peninsula that sticks out in the Atlantic Ocean. Dakar is a major regional port.
History of Dakar
Dakar was first settled by European merchants in the 15th century. In the 17th century, Gorrée Island which partially encloses the harbour of Dakar was an important Dutch trading post. The island reverted to the French in 1817. Dakar was first occupied permanently in 1857. The settlement grew as a port and railway hub. It later became a naval base, and replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. It was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation from 1959 to 1960, after which it became the capital of Senegal. Today Dakar is a sprawling, lively cosmopolitan city.
Population
Dakar covers 82.38 km² of land and it has a population of about 2.8 million people.
Mayor of Dakar
Khalifa Sall is the current mayor of Dakar.
The city is served by various means of transport which include ferries, buses, air transport, taxis, minibuses and Horse-drawn carts among others
Attractions in Dakar
- Goree Island
- Saint Louis
- La Reserve de Bandia
- La Maison des Esclaves
- Lake Retba
- Hann Park Zoo
- Yoff beach
- The Corniche
- IFAN Museum of African Arts
- Dakar Grand Mosque
- Dakar Cathedral
- African Renaissance Monument