Dakar

Region

Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula on the Atlantic coast of the country. It is the largest city in Senegal, and the westernmost city on the African mainland.

  • 5.1 Economics
  • 5.2 traffic
  • 5.3 Media
  • 5.4 Education
  • 6.1 theater
  • 6.2 Museums
  • 6.3 Sports
  • 6.4 Regular events
  • 6.5 Miscellaneous

Geography

Dakar is the capital of Senegal. It is situated as a port city on the Atlantic Ocean. Dakar has emerged on the eastern shore of a peninsula projecting from the peninsula of Cape Verde to the south to Cape Manuel. By this peninsula, the Port of Dakar and the island of Goree is screened in a relatively protected bay from the storms of the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, the city occupies the entire peninsula of Cape Verde and is the westernmost city on the African mainland. In the western urban area are the highest elevations of the western Senegal, the two basalt cone of Les Mamelles on which the oldest lighthouse of Senegal stands. The west coast between Cape Verde and Cape Manuel, the Corniche Ouest is often a rugged cliff of volcanic rock with strong surf, but there are also some sheltered bays like that of Soumbedioune where a fish market and a craft market are considered tourist attractions.

Dakar is the most important port city and most important economic center of the country; the city has over a million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of ​​about 2.45 million inhabitants (2005 ), the Dakar region is divided into the départements Dakar, Pikine, Guédiawaye and Rufisque. The annual growth rate for the city of Dakar is about 2.5 percent, in the periphery to Pikine it is higher. Dakar 1926 had 40,000 inhabitants, 132,000 in 1945 and 1980 over a million.

Boroughs

Dakar was divided in 1996 into 19 communes d'arrondissement:

  • Biscuiterie
  • Camberene
  • Dieuppeul - Derklé
  • Fann - Point E- Amitié
  • Gueule Tapee Barrel Colobane
  • Grand Yoff
  • Grand Dakar
  • Hann Bel-Air
  • HLM
  • Gorée
  • Medina
  • Mermoz -Sacré - Cœur
  • Ngor
  • Ouakam
  • Parcelles Assainies
  • Patte d' Oie
  • Dakar - Plateau
  • Sicap Liberté
  • Yoff

The largest commune d'arrondissement of Yoff is in the north; Yoff belongs to the Dakar airport. In Dakar Plateau in the south, the economic activities and most institutions focus. Tourist centers are Ngor at the Pointe des Almadies in the west and the island of Gorée to the east.

Climate

Dakar has a tropical climate with two seasons: the hot and humid season ( rainy season) is from June to October and is characterized by heavy rains in August and September in conjunction with average temperatures of 27 ° C. The slightly cooler season from November to May, the dry season with about 1 mm per month.

Compared to other regions of Senegal, these temperatures are very moderate. They are sometimes ten degrees lower than usual because, due to come through the situation on the peninsula, the wind in the city regardless of the wind direction always over the sea.

History

In 1444 the Portuguese navigator Dinis Dias discovered about 100 km ² measured Peninsula Cabo Verde, on the later, the city of Dakar was created. The first European base was the island of Gorée in the bay of Dakar. Between 1580 and 1814, the island changed fifteen times the Owner: Dutch, French and British alternated.

1750 appears for the first time the name of Dakar on a hand- drawn map of the French naturalist Michel Adanson.

The city of Dakar was built around a French fort was founded in 1857, when residents came from the nearby island of Gorée. She grew up as a port and around the railway line to Saint -Louis (1885 ), now only used for special excursions. Later, the city became a naval base and eventually dissolved in 1895 Saint -Louis as the capital of French West Africa from. 1887 Dakar was next to Gorée, Rufisque and St. Louis to the quatre communes, which the inhabitants of these cities made ​​subsequently to French citizens. The first black mayor was Blaise Diagne ( 1924-1934 ). In the years 1959 to 1960 Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation, then the capital of Senegal.

From the 16th to the 19th century were shipped via Dakar slaves to North and South America, as well as to Europe. The coastal barrier island of Gorée ( now a World Heritage Site) was the main hub in the slave trade. About Dakar and Gorée more enslaved Africans were shipped to the Western Hemisphere than any other African port. On Gorée the Maison des Esclaves, the house of slaves, now serves as a museum and the suffering of slaves reproduces very clearly exists.

1947 Dakar had only about 135,000 inhabitants. A development thrust brought the establishment of the Institute des Hautes Etudes, which was then expanded in 1957 to the university, and especially the fact that since 1958 Dakar and Saint- Louis is no longer the administrative capital of Senegal.

Twinning

Dakar is a member of the International Association of the Twin Cities and is twinned with the following cities:

  • Azerbaijan Baku ( Azerbaijan)
  • Mali Bamako ( Mali)
  • Gambia Banjul ( Gambia)
  • Guinea- Bissau Bissau ( Guinea- Bissau )
  • Republic Congo Brazzaville ( Republic of Congo)
  • Morocco Casablanca ( Morocco)
  • Cameroon Douala ( Cameroon)
  • Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  • France Marseille ( France)
  • Italy Milan ( Italy)
  • Algeria Oran ( Algeria)
  • Algeria Algiers, Algeria
  • Palestine National Authority East Jerusalem (Palestine)
  • Niger Niamey ( Niger)
  • Cape Verde Praia ( Cape Verde)
  • Argentina Rosario ( Argentina)
  • Tunisia Sfax ( Tunisia)
  • China Republic Taipei ( Republic of China)
  • United States Washington, D.C. ( USA )

Cityscape and Tourist Attractions

Worth mentioning the Monument de la Renaissance africaine are very close to the Grand Mosque and the historic center in the vicinity of Place de l' Independance and the seaport, from the minute of the 15 crossing to the former slave island of Goree is possible.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral was consecrated in 1936.

Are also interesting walks on the rocky coast along and the view from the lighthouse of Dakar.

Economy and infrastructure

Economy

Dakar has a strong food, plastics, textile, wood and furniture industry and has an oil refinery and a seaport. In particular, the textile industry of the country is suffering from the cheap imports from China. Of the ten largest companies in Senegal have Sonatel, Total Sénégal, International Trading Oil and Commodities, Senelec, Sonatel mobile, Shell Sénégal, Suneor, Sénégal Airlines and Sococim Industries based in Dakar. Furthermore, Dakar seat of the GMD, the Société des Brasseries de l' Ouest Africain ( SOBOA ) and the West African Central Bank ( BCEAO ).

Traffic

Conveniently for the industrial region around Dakar is the international airport and a very well developed highway network. Dakar is the starting point for a continuous railway route of the railway line Dakar - Niger to Bamako (Mali).

Great importance has since the first third of the 20th century, the Dakar airport between landing in the 1920s and 1930s had aircraft deployed from Europe to South America on the road, in Dakar. Also, the first commercial flight of Air France with the supersonic airliner Concorde, which led from Paris to Rio de Janeiro in 1976, had a stopover in Dakar. The Dakar International Airport is 15 kilometers from the city center and is served by a dozen foreign airlines. South-east of Dakar, in 47 kilometers from the city center, is the new Dakar Airport Blaise Diagne - with a planned capacity of three million passengers a year in construction, to replace the existing airport.

In May 2010 a new ferry terminal for shipping abroad, to Ziguinchor and the island of Gorée was opened in the port of Dakar. The cost of the new building amounted to 1.6 billion CFA francs (about 2.4 million euros ).

Media

The State RTS has its headquarters in Dakar and from there sends her two television programs (RTS 1 and RTS 2) as well as numerous radio programs, including Dakar FM and Radio Sénégal International. Private radio stations are FM Sud, Nostalgia, Rfm, Walf FM and FM Sept. Since 2003, the private television 2sTV exists.

Education

Dakar Université Cheikh Anta Diop has the de Dakar ( founded in 1957 ), also located here, the Institute Fondamental d'Afrique Noire ( IFAN ). There are several research institutes and museums, including the Museum of Marine Biology on the former slave island of Goree, which is affiliated to the University, as well as some cultural institutes such as the Centre Culturel Francais or the former center Douta Seck in the Medina.

Culture

Theater

The Théâtre National Daniel Sorano (named after Daniel Sorano, one originating from Saint -Louis actor who was active in the 50s of the 20th century at the Comédie - Française ). Where are plays, concerts and traditional dances.

Museums

The most important museums of Dakar are:

  • Musée d' Art Africain ( Museum for African Art )
  • The Historical Museum of Gorée ( Gorée Musée Historique de ) is housed in an old fort. The collections show the history of Senegal since prehistoric dar.
  • The House of Slaves ( Maison des Esclaves ) is also at Gorée and is located in a historic building from 1784.
  • Women ( Musée de la Femme ) Henriette Bathily The museum is dedicated to the women of Senegal.
  • In the oceanographic museum ( Musée de la Mer ), the emphasis is on increasing the sea, fishing and the fish.
  • Antenna gallery devoted to African art: one finds traditional masks, statues, beads and fabrics.

Sports

The city has become known by the motor sport as a Destination of the Dakar Rally, formerly Paris-Dakar Rally. Thus the final stage of the rally around Lac Rose took place, a red salt lake in the north of the Dakar peninsula.

The National Stadium Leopold Sedar Senghor stadium in Pule district was opened in 1985 and holds 60,000 spectators. It is the home venue of the Association ASC Jeanne d' Arc, who is one of the oldest and most successful in the country. Among the many sports clubs are ASC Diaraf and U.S. Gorée (home of Stade Demba Diop both clubs ) because of their age and their successes worth mentioning. Dakar was after the First World War origin of football in French West Africa and a regular host of the finals of the Coupe d' AOF.

Called for the Senegalese form of wrestling, lutte traditionnal, is a new venue, the Arene Nationale de Lutte 25,000 places in planning.

Regular events

Since 1992, every two years in May and June, the Biennale de l' art africain contemporain Dak'Art instead, considered the most important art event in West Africa and artists from Senegal and many countries in Africa is a stage.

Others

Another highlight in the cultural life of the nightclub by Youssou N'Dour - Thiossane - where the artist gives concerts themselves from early in the morning

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Habib Thiam ( born 1933), Senegalese politician, Prime Minister of Senegal
  • Mor Thiam (c. 1941), Senegalese percussionist and cultural historian
  • Jean -Louis Lafosse (1941-1981), French race car driver
  • Madjiguène Cissé ( born 1951 ), Senegalese woman activist
  • Ségolène Royal ( born 1953 ), French politician
  • Omar Pene ( born 1956 ), Senegalese singer and song writer
  • Youssou N'Dour ( born 1959 ), Senegalese singer and song writer
  • Soriba Kouyaté (1963-2010), Senegalese kora player
  • Mouss Diouf (1964-2012), Senegalese- born French actor
  • MC Solaar (born 1969 ), French rap and hip -hop musicians
  • Lamine Cissé (born 1971 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Ferdinand Coly (born 1973 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Patrick Vieira (born 1976 ), French footballer
  • Amdy Faye ( born 1977 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Souleymane Diawara (born 1978 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Papa Bouba Diop (born 1978 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Mamadou Diabang ( born 1979 ), Senegalese- German football player
  • El Hadji Diouf ( born 1981 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Patrice Evra ( born 1981 ), French footballer
  • DeSagana Diop (* 1982 ), Senegalese basketball player
  • Diakhaté Pape ( born 1984 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Mansour Guèye ( born 1985 ), Senegalese footballer
  • Mouhamadou Dabo ( born 1986 ), French footballer
  • Aminata Diadhiou (* 1987), Senegalese football player
  • Mame Biram Diouf (* 1987), Senegalese footballer
  • Saliou Ciss (* 1989), Senegalese footballer
  • Fallou Diagné (* 1989), Senegalese footballer
Ngor (Dakar) Slavery The Gambia Rosario (Santa Fe) Lake Retba Jean-Louis Lafosse
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