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Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
and
largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2021. The area around Dakar was settled in the 15th century. The Portuguese established a presence on the island of Gorée off the coast of Cap-Vert and used it as a base for the Atlantic slave trade.
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
took over the island in 1677. Following the abolition of the slave trade and French annexation of the mainland area in the 19th century, Dakar grew into a major regional port and a major city of the French colonial empire. In 1902, Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa. From 1959 to 1960, Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation. In 1960, it became the capital of the independent Republic of Senegal.


History

The Cap-Vert peninsula was settled no later than the 15th century, by the Lebu people, an aquacultural subgroup of the Wolof ethnic group. The original villages—Ouakam, Ngor, Yoff and Hann—still constitute distinctively Lebou neighborhoods of the city today. In 1444, the Portuguese reached the Bay of Dakar, initially as slave-raiders. Peaceful contact was finally opened in 1456 by Diogo Gomes, and the bay was subsequently referred to as the "''Angra de Bezeguiche''" (after the name of the local ruler).A. Teixeira da Mota (1968) "Ilha de Santiago e Angra de Bezeguiche, escalas da carreira da India", ''Do tempo e da historia'', Lisbon, v.3, pp.141-49. The bay of "Bezeguiche" would go on to serve as a critical stop for the Portuguese India Armadas of the early 16th century, where large fleets would routinely stop, both on their outward and return journeys from India, to repair, collect fresh water from the rivulets and wells along the Cap-Vert shore and trade for provisions with the local people for their remaining voyage. (It was famously during one of these stops, in 1501, where the Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci began to construct his " New World" hypothesis about America.) The Portuguese eventually founded a settlement on the island of Gorée (then known as the island of Bezeguiche or Palma), which by 1536 they began to use as a base for slave exportation. The mainland of Cap-Vert, however, was under control of the Jolof Empire, as part of the western province of Cayor which seceded from Jolof in its own right in 1549. A new Lebou village, called Ndakaaru, was established directly across from Gorée in the 17th century to service the European trading factory with food and drinking water. Gorée was captured by the United Netherlands in 1588, which gave it its present name (spelled ''Goeree'', after Goeree-Overflakkee in the Netherlands). The island was to switch hands between the Portuguese and Dutch several more times before falling to the English under Admiral Robert Holmes on January 23, 1664, and finally to the French in 1677. Though under continuous French administration since, métis families, descended from Dutch and French traders and African wives, dominated the slave trade. The infamous " House of Slaves" was built at Gorée in 1776. In 1795, the Lebou of Cape Verde revolted against Cayor rule. A new theocratic state, subsequently called the "Lebou Republic" by the French, was established under the leadership of the Diop, a Muslim clerical family originally from Koki in Cayor. The capital of the republic was established at Ndakaaru. In 1857 the French established a military post at Ndakaaru (which they called "Dakar") and annexed the Lebou Republic, though its institutions continued to function nominally. The Serigne (also spelled Sëriñ, "Lord") of Ndakaaru is still recognized as the traditional political authority of the Lebou by the Senegalese State today. The slave trade was abolished by France in February 1794. However, Napoleon reinstated it in May 1802, then finally abolished it permanently in March 1815. Despite Napoleon's abolition, a clandestine slave trade continued at Gorée until 1848, when it was abolished throughout all French territories. To replace trade in slaves, the French promoted peanut cultivation on the mainland. As the peanut trade boomed, tiny Gorée Island, whose population had grown to 6,000 residents, proved ineffectual as a port. Traders from Gorée decided to move to the mainland and a "factory" with warehouses was established in Rufisque in 1840. Large public expenditure for infrastructure was allocated by the colonial authorities to Dakar's development. The port facilities were improved with jetties, a telegraph line was established along the coast to Saint-Louis and the Dakar-Saint-Louis railway was completed in 1885, at which point the city became an important base for the conquest of the Western Sudan. Gorée, including Dakar, was recognised as a French ''commune'' in 1872. Dakar itself was split off from Gorée as a separate ''commune'' in 1887. The citizens of the city elected their own mayor and municipal council and helped send an elected representative to the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
in Paris. Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. A second major railroad, the Dakar-Niger built from 1906 to 1923, linked Dakar to Bamako and consolidated the city's position at the head of France's West African empire. In 1929, the ''commune'' of Gorée Island, now with only a few hundred inhabitants, was merged into Dakar. Urbanization during the colonial period was marked by forms of racial and social segregation—often expressed in terms of health and hygiene—which continue to structure the city today. Following a plague epidemic in 1914, the authorities forced most of the African population out of old neighborhoods, or "Plateau", and into a new quarter, called Médina, separated from it by a "sanitary cordon". As first occupants of the land, the Lebou inhabitants of the city successfully resisted this expropriation. They were supported by
Blaise Diagne Blaise Diagne (13 October 1872 – 11 May 1934) was a Senegalese and French political leader and mayor of Dakar. He was the first person of West African origin elected to the French Chamber of Deputies, and the first to hold a position in the Fr ...
, the first African to be elected Deputy to the National Assembly. Nonetheless, the Plateau thereafter became an administrative, commercial, and residential district increasingly reserved for Europeans and served as model for similar exclusionary administrative enclaves in French Africa's other colonial capitals (Bamako, Conakry, Abidjan, Brazzaville). Meanwhile, the Layene Sufi order, established by
Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye (1843–1909) was the founder of the Layene Sufi order. After the death of his mother he declared himself to be the Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure ...
, was thriving among the Lebou in Yoff and in a new village called Cambérène. Since independence, urbanization has sprawled eastward past Pikine, a commuter suburb whose population (2001 est. 1,200,000) is greater than that of Dakar proper, to Rufisque, creating a conurbation of almost 3 million (over a quarter of the national population). In its colonial heyday Dakar was one of the major cities of the French Empire, comparable to Hanoi or Beirut. French trading firms established branch offices there and industrial investments (mills, breweries, refineries, canneries) were attracted by its port and rail facilities. It was also strategically important to France, which maintained an important naval base and coaling station in its harbor and which integrated it into its earliest air force and airmail circuits, most notably with the legendary Mermoz airfield (no longer extant). In 1940, Dakar became involved in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
when General de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, sought to make the city the base of his resistance operations. The object was to raise the Free French flag in West Africa, to occupy Dakar and thus start to consolidate the French resistance of its colonies in Africa. The plan had British naval support when fighting alone against the Axis powers. However, due to delays and the plan becoming known, Dakar had already come under the influence of the German controlled will of the Vichy government. With the arrival of French naval forces under Vichy control and faced by stubborn defences onshore, de Gaulle's proposals were resisted and the Battle of Dakar ensued off the coast lasting three days September 23–25, 1940, between the Vichy defences and the attack of the Free French and British navy. The enterprise was abandoned after appreciable naval losses. Although the initiative on Dakar failed, General de Gaulle was able to establish himself at Douala in the Cameroons which became the rallying point for the resistance of the Free French cause. In November 1944 West African conscripts in the French army mutinied against poor conditions at the Thiaroye camp, on the outskirts of the city. The mutiny was seen as an indictment of the colonial system and constituted a watershed for the nationalist movement. On December 1, 1944, French soldiers guarding the camp opened fire on the West African soldiers. Accounts of the death toll range from around 35 (the official French account) to over 300 (army veterans active at the time). Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation from 1959 to 1960, after which it became the capital of Senegal. The poet, philosopher and first President of Senegal Léopold Sédar Senghor tried to transform Dakar into the "Sub-Saharan African Athens" (l'Athènes de l'Afrique subsaharienne), as his vision was for it. Dakar is a major financial center, home to a dozen national and regional banks (including the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) which manages the unified West African CFA franc currency), and to numerous international organizations, NGOs and international research centers. Dakar has a large Lebanese community (concentrated in the import-export sector) that dates to the 1920s, a community of Moroccan business people, as well as Mauritanian, Cape Verdean, and Guinean communities. The city is home to as many as 20,000 French expatriates. France still maintains an air force base at Yoff and the French fleet is serviced in Dakar's port. Beginning 1978 and until 2007, Dakar was frequently the ending point of the Dakar Rally.


Geography

Dakar is located on the Cap-Vert peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland.


Climate

The Dakarois climate is generally very warm. Dakar has an ocean-influenced hot semi-arid climate (
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
: ''BSh''), with a short rainy season and a lengthy dry season. Dakar's rainy season lasts from July to October while the dry season covers the remaining eight months. The city sees approximately of rainfall per year. Dakar between December and May is usually very warm with daily temperatures around . Nights during this time of the year are warm, some . However, between May and November the city becomes decidedly hotter with daily highs reaching and night lows a little bit above . Notwithstanding this hotter season Dakar's weather is far from being so hot as experienced in inland Sahelian cities like Niamey and N'Djamena, where temperatures hover above for much of the year. Dakar is cooled year-round by sea breezes.


Administration

The city of Dakar is a commune (also sometimes known as ''commune de ville''), one of the some 125 communes of Senegal. The commune of Dakar was created by the French colonial administration on June 17, 1887, by detaching it from the commune of Gorée. The commune of Gorée, created in 1872, was itself one of the oldest Western-style municipalities in Africa (along with the municipalities of
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
). The commune of Dakar has been in continuous existence since 1887, being preserved by the new state of Senegal after independence in 1960, although its limits have varied considerably over time. The limits of the commune of Dakar have been unchanged since 1983. The commune of Dakar is ruled by a democratically elected municipal council (''conseil municipal'') serving five years, and a mayor elected by the municipal council. There have been 20 mayors in Dakar since 1887. The first black mayor was
Blaise Diagne Blaise Diagne (13 October 1872 – 11 May 1934) was a Senegalese and French political leader and mayor of Dakar. He was the first person of West African origin elected to the French Chamber of Deputies, and the first to hold a position in the Fr ...
, mayor of Dakar from 1924 to 1934. The longest-serving mayor was Mamadou Diop, mayor for 18 years between 1984 and 2002. The commune of Dakar is also a '' department'', one of the 45  departments of Senegal. This situation is quite similar to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, which is both a commune and a department. However, contrary to French departments, departments in Senegal have no political power (no departmental assembly), and are merely local administrative structures of the central state, in charge of carrying out some administrative services as well as controlling the activities of the communes within the department. The department of Dakar is divided into four
arrondissements An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...
: Almadies,
Grand Dakar Grand Dakar is a commune d'arrondissement of the city of Dakar, Senegal. References Arrondissements of Dakar {{Senegal-geo-stub ...
,
Parcelles Assainies Parcelles Assainies is a commune d'arrondissement of the city of Dakar, Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Se ...
(which literally means "drained lots"; this is the most populous arrondissement of Dakar), and Plateau/Gorée (downtown Dakar). These arrondissements are quite different from the arrondissements of Paris, being merely local administrative structures of the central state, like the Senegalese ''departments'', and are thus more comparable to French departmental arrondissements. In 1996 a massive reform of the administrative and political divisions of Senegal was voted by the Parliament of Senegal. The commune of Dakar, whose population approached 1 million inhabitants, was deemed too large and too populated to be properly managed by a central municipality, and thus on August 30, 1996, Dakar was divided into 19 ''communes d'arrondissement''. These ''communes d'arrondissement'' were given extensive powers, and are very much like regular communes. They have more powers than the arrondissements of Paris, and are more akin to the London boroughs. The commune of Dakar was maintained above these 19 ''communes d'arrondissement'', and it coordinates the activities of the ''communes d'arrondissement'', much as Greater London coordinates the activities of the London boroughs. The 19 ''communes d'arrondissement'' belong to either of the four arrondissements of Dakar, and the '' sous-préfet'' of each arrondissement is in charge of controlling the activities of the ''communes d'arrondissement'' in his arrondissement. The ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Dakar-Plateau (34,626 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée, is the historical heart of the city, and most ministries and public administrations are located there. The densest and most populous ''commune d'arrondissement'' is Médina (136,697 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. The ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Yoff (55,995 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Almadies, is the largest one, while the smallest one is the ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Île de Gorée (1,034 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. Dakar is one of the 14  ''régions of Senegal''. The Dakar ''région'' encompasses the city of Dakar and all its suburbs along the
Cape Verde Peninsula Cap-Vert, or the Cape Verde Peninsula, is a peninsula in Senegal and the westernmost point of the continent of Africa and of the Afro-Eurasia mainland. Portuguese explorers called it Cabo Verde or "Green Cape". The Cape Verde islands, further ...
. Its territory is thus roughly the same as the territory of the metropolitan area of Dakar. Since the administrative reforms of 1996, the ''régions'' of Senegal, which until then were merely local administrative structures of the central state, have been turned into full-fledged political units, with democratically elected regional councils, and regional presidents. They were given extensive powers, and manage economic development, transportation, or environmental protection issues at the regional level, thus coordinating the actions of the communes below them.


Notable sites

The city of Dakar is a member of the
Organization of World Heritage Cities The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization of 250 cities in which sites of the UNESCO World Heritage list are located. It was founded in 1993 in Fez, Morocco, during the second In ...
, and contains several landmarks. One of the most notable is
Deux Mamelles Deux Mamelles, Collines des Mamelles, or simply Mamelles are twin hills located in Ouakam, a suburban commune of Dakar, in the Cap-Vert peninsula, Senegal. These hills are of volcanic origin and they are the vestiges of a plateau from the early ...
, twin hills located in Ouakam commune. The hills are the only high ground in the city, providing views of the entire area and sweeping views of the city. The first hill is topped with Mamelles Lighthouse built in 1864. The second hill has the newly completed African Renaissance Monument built on top, which is considered the tallest statue in Africa. Other landmarks of the city include the medina quarter located in Médina commune. Médina is originally built as a township for local populace during the French colonial-era. Today it is a traditional commercial center packed with tailors' shops. The most notable street market is Soumbédioune, which is also a major tourist attraction. The quarter also houses
Dakar Grand Mosque The Dakar Grand Mosque ( ar, المسجد الكبير في داكار) is one of the most important religious buildings in Dakar, Senegal. It is situated on ''Allée Pape Gueye Fall''. History Designed by Moroccan and French architects, Dakar ...
at the heart of the commune, which is built in 1964 and one of the prominent landmarks of the city. Dakar is flanked by two small islands, Île de N'Gor and Île de Gorée. The former is on the northern shore of N'Gor commune with beaches providing attractions such as surfing. N'Gor commune also has other popular beach resorts such as Plage de N'Gor. Île de Gorée, formerly a slave island, is today a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
World Heritage Site which preserves the colonial era architectures and facilities. The notable places on the island is Gorée Memorial which is a memorial for the slaves, and the House of Slaves which is a museum dedicated to the Atlantic slave trade. Today, the island is also hosting the art scene of the hundreds of local artists who line up their works at the outdoor exhibitions. Some other notable places include Layen Mausoleum which entombs the founder of the Layene Sufi tariqa, Palais Présidentiel which is the seat of the government constructed in 1907, Place de l'Indépendance which is the central square of Dakar, Dakar Cathedral, and
Cheikh Anta Diop University Cheikh Anta Diop University (french: Université Cheikh Anta Diop or UCAD), also known as the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, is a university in Dakar, Senegal. It is named after the Senegalese physicist, historian and anthropologist C ...
also known as the University of Dakar, which was established in 1957.


Places of worship

Among the places of worship, there are predominantly
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dakar (
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
), Assemblies of God, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Dakar was selected as the Capital of Islamic Culture for African Region for the year 2007 by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), honoring its Islamic heritage. ISESCO and its parent organization
Organization of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
(OIC) have held several regional and international conferences in the city, best known for adoption of Dakar Declaration in 1991 which aimed at fostering the cooperation between the member states. Dakar is also known as the birthplace of the Layene Brotherhood, a Sufi tariqa founded by
Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye (1843–1909) was the founder of the Layene Sufi order. After the death of his mother he declared himself to be the Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure ...
in 1883 at the commune of Yoff. Seydina is buried in the Layen Mausoleum which is among the major landmarks of Dakar. Today, Layene Brotherhood is consisted mostly of the Lebou people, and based in the Cap-Vert area. It is also the third biggest Sufi order in Senegal. Prominent worshiping sites for Muslims in Dakar include the Grand Mosque of Dakar, built in 1964, which is situated at Allée Pape Gueye Fall of Medina, the
Mosque of the Divinity A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers (sujud) are performed, in ...
, constructed in 1973, situated in Ouakam, with the characteristic triangular windows, and Omarienne Mosque with minarets topped by green orbs.


Culture

In Senegal the traditional culture is very centred around the idea of family. This even includes the way that they eat. When it is time to eat a typical meal someone will say "kay lekk" which means 'come eat'. Everyone will come together and sit around the plate and eat with their hands. Some famous dishes include Cebbu Jën (Tiéboudienne) and Yassa. The etiquette of people in Dakar is very simple but very vital. To not greet someone upon sight is to portray rudeness and oftentimes ignorance. Due to French colonialism the children of Dakar have a unique school system. The school will get a break at about midday and return home to get some rest. Since the population is majority Muslim there are daily activities such as going to the mosque at noon prayer and attending the mosque on Fridays. Music has a big influence on the youth with famous artists like Daara J Family who use their voice to represent the problems in their communities. Dakar is home to multiple national and international festivals, like World Festival of Black Arts, Festival international du film de quartier de Dakar,
Dakar Biennale The Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal. Dak'Art's focus has been on Contemporary African Art since 1996. History T ...
. It was also the location of
Taf Taf Taf Taf was a residency program for artists, with both humanitarian and artistic purposes, that took place in the periphery of Dakar in Senegal. It was organized and coordinated by Minna Maija Lappalainen and (Association of Artists in Turku, Finl ...
, an international
artist residency Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...
program.


Museums

*
IFAN Museum of African Arts Ifan may refer to: People *Ifan (given name), list of people with this name * Ifan Evans (born 1983), Welsh rugby union player * Wil Ifan * The nickname of Riefian Fajarsyah of a former Seventeen member, disbanded by 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami ...
or Musee Theodore Monod *
Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum The Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum (in French language, French: ''Musée de la Femme Henriette-Bathily'') is a museum which was located on Gorée, an island on the coast of Senegal, across from the House of Slaves museum. In May 2015, it moved t ...
* House of Slaves *Village des Arts *Parc Forestier et Zoologique de Hann, aka the Senegal Zoo *
Museum of Black Civilisations The Museum of Black Civilisations is a national museum in Dakar, Senegal, that opened on 6 December 2018. It is directed by Hamady Bocoum, an archaeologist and researcher at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University. The museum was conceived with the goal of ...
*
Dynamic Museum The Dynamic Museum is a museum in Dakar, Senegal. History The museum was part of a series of cultural projects initiated by President Léopold Sédar Senghor. The museum was inaugurated on March 31, 1966 by Senghor and André Malraux and playe ...


Sports

Sports club AS Douanes are based in Sicap-Liberté; they play in the Senegal Premier League and previously won the 2014–15 Ligue 1 (Senegal) season. Dakar used to be the finishing point of the Dakar Rally until 2007, before the event was moved to South America for the security concerns in Mauritania. Dakar was set to host the 2022 edition of the
Youth Summer Olympics The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event for athletes between 15 and 18 years old, organized by the International Olympic Committee. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consist ...
, however, the games have been postponed to 2026, it will be the first of its kind Olympics ever held in Africa.


Transport

The town is home to the
Autonomous Port of Dakar The Autonomous Port of Dakar (French: ''Port autonome de Dakar'', abbreviation: ''PAD'') is a Senegalese public enterprise which is headquartered in Dakar, located in the east of city. Thanks to the strategic position that gives it a sheltered har ...
and the terminus of the non-functioning Dakar-Niger railroad line. The Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD (TER) will connect Dakar with Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD). An initial 36 km will link Dakar to Diamniadio and a second phase of 19 km would connect Dakar to the Blaise Diagne airport. A total of 14 train stations will be served and the fastest end-to-end journey will take 45 minutes. The railway is expected to carry 115 000 passengers per day. The TER's first test run launched on 14 January 2019 and the first passenger train ran in December 2021. Blaise Diagne International Airport is the city's international airport; it handles flights by several airlines, including Air France, Delta,
Emirates Emirates may refer to: * United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country * Emirate, any territory ruled by an emir ** Gulf emirates, emirates located on the Persian Gulf ** Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, the individual emirates * The Emirat ...
and
Emirates Sky Cargo Emirates SkyCargo ( ar, الإمارات للشحن الجوي) is a cargo airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As of 2020, it is the fourth largest cargo airline worldwide in terms of the total freight tonne-kilometres flown and intern ...
, Iberia, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish, and is the hub of Senegal's flag carrier,
Air Senegal Air Senegal , is the flag carrier of the Republic of Senegal. Created in 2016, it is state owned through investment arm Caisse des Dépots et Consignation du Sénégal. It is based at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal. Hi ...
.


Notable people

* Abdoulaye Faye, footballer * Akon, R&B singer (real name – Alioune Thiam) * Baaba Maal, singer and guitarist *
Babacar Khane Babacar Khane (born January 2, 1935), also known as Yogi Khane, Yogi Babacar Khane and Maître Khane, is a practitioner of yoga, author, and mystical poet. His work has focused on the diffusion of yoga in Europe and its introduction into medical ...
, yoga practitioner * Boris Diaw, basketball player, Utah Jazz *
Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul (born March 4, 1982) is a Senegalese former professional footballer who currently coaches New Amsterdam FC in the National Independent Soccer Association. Coundoul played as a goalkeeper. Between 2007 and 2016 he represented the ...
, footballer, Achna FC * Cheikh Anta Diop, Historian, anthropologist, physicist, politician
Cheikh Anta Diop University Cheikh Anta Diop University (french: Université Cheikh Anta Diop or UCAD), also known as the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, is a university in Dakar, Senegal. It is named after the Senegalese physicist, historian and anthropologist C ...
*
Cheikh Samb Samb Cheikh Tidiane (born October 22, 1984) is a Senegalese former professional basketball player. He played at the center position. Basketball career In the 2005-06 season, Samb played for WTC Cornellá in the Spanish second division, averaging ...
, basketball player, former Los Angeles Clippers * DeSagana Diop, basketball player,
Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...
*
Fatou Samba Blackswan ( Korean: 블랙스완; stylized as BLACKSWAN) are a South Korean-based multinational girl group formed by DR Music, with an admission and graduation concept. As of December 2022, the group consists of Fatou, Leia, Gabi, Sriya, and ...
, member of South Korean girl group
Blackswan Blackswan (Korean: 블랙스완; stylized as BLACKSWAN) are a South Korean-based multinational girl group formed by DR Music, with an admission and graduation concept. As of December 2022, the group consists of Fatou, Leia, Gabi, Sriya, and ...
* Hamady Ndiaye, basketball player
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
* Ibrahim Ba, former footballer *
Ismaël Lô Ismaël Lô (also Ismaël Lo; born 1956) is a Senegalese musician and actor. Life Lô was born in Dogondoutchi, Niger on 30 August 1956, to a Senegalese father and a Nigerien mother. Shortly after Lo's birth the family returned to Senegal whe ...
, singer-songwriter *
Idrissa Gueye Idrissa Gana Gueye (born 26 September 1989) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Everton and the Senegal national team. Starting his career at Diambars in his native Senegal, Gueye joined Fren ...
, footballer, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. * Issa, R&B singer *
Macoumba Kandji Macoumba Kandji (born 2 August 1985 in Dakar) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays for FC Lahti in the Veikkausliiga. Career Early life and college Kandji was born in Senegal, raised in The Gambia, and came to the United States i ...
, footballer, Colorado Rapids * Mamadou N'Diaye, former basketball player for Auburn University and the Toronto Raptors * Mame Biram Diouf, footballer, Stoke City *
Marc Lièvremont Marc Lièvremont (born 28 October 1968) is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's ...
, former
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
player and former head coach of the France national rugby union team * Marcel Lefebvre, Founder of the
SSPX The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ( la, Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X; FSSPX) is an international fraternity of traditionalist Catholic priests founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a leading traditionalist voice at the Secon ...
, Apostolic delegate to Pope
Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius ...
, and
Archbishop of Dakar The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dakar ( la, Dakaren(sis)) is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Dakar in Senegal. History * February 2, 1863: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia from the Apostolic Vicariate ...
. *
Mbaye Diagne Mbaye Diagne (18 March 195831 May 1994) was a Senegalese military officer who served in Rwanda as a United Nations military observer from 1993 to 1994. During the Rwandan genocide he undertook many missions on his own initiative to save the liv ...
, United Nations military observer and hero during the Rwandan genocide *
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton Ofeibea Quist-Arcton (born 4 August 1958) is a Ghanaian-British radio journalist, correspondent, commentator and broadcaster. She works for National Public Radio, reporting on issues and events related to West Africa. She grew up in Ghana, Ita ...
, foreign correspondent for NPR News * Orchestra Baobab *
Ousmane Barro Ousmane Barro (born 7 December 1984) is a Senegalese professional basketball player who last played for CSO Voluntari of the Liga Națională. He played college basketball for Marquette University. College career Barro started for three season ...
, basketball player, Marquette University * Papa Bouba Diop, former footballer * Pape Paté Diouf, football player * Papiss Cisse, footballer, Newcastle United * Patrice Evra, former footballer, *
Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
, former footballer * Pélagie Gbaguidi, contemporary artist * Sadio Mane, footballer, Bayern Munich * N'Goné Fall, cultural consultant * Sheck Wes, rapper, songwriter, model * Ségolène Royal, French politician born in Dakar *
Souleyman Sané Mansa Sulayman ( ar, منسا سليمان, Mansā Sulaymān; ) was mansa of the Mali Empire during the middle of the 14th century. He was the brother of Mansa Musa and succeeded Musa's son Magha as mansa. As mansa, Sulayman continued the diplo ...
, former footballer *
Tacko Fall Elhadji Tacko Sereigne Diop Fall (born 10 December 1995) is a Senegalese professional basketball player for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Fall was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal. He moved to the Unit ...
, basketball player, Cleveland Cavaliers * Thione Seck, singer and songwriter *
Wasis Diop Wasis Diop (born 1950 in Dakar, Senegal) is a Senegalese musician of international renown, known for blending traditional Senegalese folk music with modern pop and jazz. Early life The son of a Senegalese high official and member of the Lebou eth ...
, musician * Youssou N'Dour, singer and percussionist


International relations

Dakar is twinned with: * Ann Arbor,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, United States * Baku, Azerbaijan * Douala, Cameroon * Isfahan, Iran *
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, Italy * Oran, Algeria * Rangpur, Bangladesh * Rosario, Argentina * Bissau, Guinea-Bissau * Taipei, Taiwan * Washington, D.C., United States


References


Bibliography


External links


Dakar official website
(archived) * * {{Authority control 1664 establishments in the British Empire 1677 establishments in the French colonial empire 1857 establishments in the French colonial empire Capitals in Africa Communes of Senegal Dakar 1677-1959 Populated coastal places in Senegal Populated places established in the 15th century Populated places in Dakar Region Port cities in Africa Regional capitals in Senegal