Dakar, Senegal

Dakar is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Senegal, a country in West Africa, and that nation's economic, political, and administrative center. Dakar is a major port city due to its location on the western edge of the African continent. One of the most developed and democratic nations of Africa, Senegal, with its economically viable and modern capital, is considered representative of the future of Africa.

Landscape

Dakar is located on Africa's western coast, on the southeastern side of the Cape Verde Peninsula. Built mostly on arid land, the city is situated between the Gambia and Sénégal Rivers and is the westernmost point in Africa. The limestone cliffs of the peninsula offer protection to the port city's harbor. The city's downtown area is located on a plateau and is often referred to simply as the Plateau.

Because the city was founded as an expansion of the colony on Gorée, the design and planning of the city is considered somewhat haphazard. As a result, Dakar experiences considerable traffic problems. One proposed solution is to move the capital to another site, though this is unlikely to happen in the near or distant future.

Despite the often-disorganized state of the streets, Dakar is divided into districts. The northern district, whose focal point is the Place de l'Indépendance, is the center of business and commerce in the city. The northeastern district is the home of the city's port and port-based businesses. The southern district contains many of Dakar's public services and community buildings, including hospitals and public housing.

Dakar, like Senegal as a whole, has a tropical and humid climate, with average temperatures of between 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) during the cool season (December through April) and 27 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) during the hot season (May through November). The rainy season in Dakar extends from roughly June to October.

People

The population of Dakar was approximately 3.340 million 2023, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency. Although French is the country's official language, Wolof, the native language of the Wolof peoples, is the predominant language. In fact, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group in Senegal, followed by the Pular, Serer, and various other ethnic contingents. There is also a large French expatriate community in Dakar. Islam is the predominant religion, and about 96 percent of the population is Muslim.

Dakar is considered a center of modern art, the collection of which has been an important part of Senegal's history. When the country gained its independence in 1960, President Léopold Sédar Senghor established a national art school, the Ecole des Arts du Senegal, which has become renowned for its modern and abstract artists. In the early years of the republic, the city's artists were known primarily for their blending of European aesthetics with African themes. The city is now home to several well-known galleries as well as the Dak'Art biennial arts festival and the Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noir (IFAN) museum.

Economy

Dakar is a port city, and much of its industry is based around the port, including numerous import-export operations and fisheries. Dakar's economy is among the strongest in Africa, attracting unemployed people from across the country to steady jobs in the ports and the military. One of the city's main industries is food processing; many of these products, including peanuts and peanut oil, gum arabic, and phosphoric salts, are exported. Dakar also has a petroleum refinery and is considered a significant financial center in the region.

Despite the city's major food-processing operations, many foodstuffs are imported. Among these is rice, which Senegal has been importing for decades. In the early twenty-first century, however, the government of Senegal launched an initiative known as the Return to Agriculture Plan (REVA), seeking to promote agriculture within the country. This self-sufficiency plan illustrates a shift in the government's concern with the country's agricultural practices. President Macky Sall, elected in March 2012, introduced the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP) to structurally transform Senegal's economy while preserving economic stability and debt sustainability.

Dakar is a major transportation hub with rail connections to Central Africa. The Blaise Diagne International Airport developed under the ESP, opened in December 2017 and replaced Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport as Dakar's main airport.

Landmarks

Dakar is home to a number of important museums, including an archeological museum.

Two of the city's most important religious sites are the Grande Mosquée de Daka, built in 1964, and the Cathedrale de la Souvenir Africain, built in 1929. The former, which towers over the downtown section of the city, was funded with money from Morocco.

The Palais Présidentiel is the home of Senegal's president and is surrounded by gardens; the palace was once the home of the French governor during Senegal's colonial period. The parliamentary house, or Assemblée Nationale, is also near the city center. The local Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de Commerce) dates from 1926 and is located in the Place de l'Indépendance, which is the center of the city's commercial and cultural life.

The Porte Millenaire monument, built in 2001, represents the city's past and future. The monument is made up of three nested rectangular arches, which symbolize doorways. Through these arches, viewers can view Gorée Island, a symbol of Dakar's past as a French trading colony, and the ocean, a symbol of the city's port and its bright future as a major maritime trading city in its own right. In addition, near the historic Gare Centrale train station is the Tirailleurs Senegalais monument, commemorating the Senegalese soldiers who were drafted to serve France in both world wars.

One of the city's most striking natural landmarks is the corniche road, which is carved out of the limestone cliffs on the bank of Cape Manuel. It offers excellent views of Dakar's beaches and its famous harbor as well as the surrounding islands. Another notable landmark is the Phare des Mamelles (Mamelles Lighthouse).

History

The city that became Dakar actually started on an island off the coast of Africa called Gorée. The French originally took control of this island in 1677, after it had changed hands between the Portuguese and Dutch several times in the preceding two hundred years. France used the city as a base for its slave-trading operations until 1848, when the French officially outlawed the practice. The island colony had grown nonetheless, and soon the population overwhelmed the tiny landmass. Seeking further inroads to Africa, France expanded the small colony onto the mainland, founding the city of Dakar in 1857.

In 1862, the city was named the capital of the state of French West Africa, and in 1885, a railroad was built to connect Dakar to the northern provincial capital of Saint-Louis. This railroad, which was the first in western Africa, was the major turning point in transforming Dakar from a quiet, colonial town into the bustling city it has become. Since its founding, Dakar had been competing with the nearby colony of Rufisque for control of the peanut trade. With the creation of the railroad, Dakar was able to capture some of the prime peanut land and began to cultivate and export those products.

Another rail line, to French Sudan, opened in 1923, further expanding the city's peanut trade, and until the start of World War II, the city was Africa's preeminent peanut distributor. During the war, Dakar was ruled by France's Vichy government, which was installed by Germany. Most of the city's development slowed or stopped completely until Dakar, and the rest of French West Africa, joined the Allies in 1943. Nevertheless, the city's peanut industry remained strong throughout the war, mainly because the African continent's lack of vegetable oils (imported from France) created a natural demand.

In 1958, amid a population boom, Dakar was named the capital of Senegal, which was still a French colony at the time. When Senegal and French Sudan declared independence from France in 1960, they formed the Mali Federation and named Dakar the capital. The Federation lasted less than a year, after which time Dakar withdrew, becoming instead the capital of the independent state of Senegal. Although independence caused the city some problems, Dakar experienced a cultural revolution in the 1960s, and Senegal has since become known for both its glamour and its urbanity.

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