Dakar

Dakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula, on the country's Atlantic coast. Its position, on the western edge of Africa (it is, in fact, the westernmost African city), is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional port.

History

The city of Dakar formed around a French fort. It was founded in 1857 after residents moved from the nearby island of Gorée. It grew as a port and around a railway to Saint-Louis, opened in 1885 but now only used for special excursions. The city 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.

Related Topics:
French - 1857 - Gorée - Port - Saint-Louis - 1885 - Naval base - French West Africa - 1902 - Mali Federation - 1959 - 1960

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From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Goreé and later Dakar were major centers of the Atlantic slave trade. More enslaved Africans were shipped through Dakar to the Western Hemisphere (including South America, the American colonies, and the Caribbean) than through any other single port in Africa. The Fort D'Estrees on Gorée Island, where slaves were held, auctioned, and packed onto ships, was restored by the Senegalese government in the 20th century and transformed into a museum. French West Africa had its headquarters here when it was founded, in 1862.

Related Topics:
16th - 19th - Atlantic slave trade - Enslaved - Western Hemisphere - South America - American colonies - The Caribbean - Africa - French West Africa - 1862

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