Lac de Guiers

F The Guiers Lake (French Lac Guiers ), the largest in the country, is located in northern Senegal, south of the town of Richard Toll. It is important for the water supply of the capital Dakar, which is connected by underground pipes to the lake.

Geography

It is about 35 kilometers long and eight kilometers wide and is fed by the Bounoum, which flows coming from the Fouta in the south in the lake. The water flowed to the north by the Portuguese in the River Senegal was until this is replaced by a straight channel by Richard Toll. The shores of with an average depth of 1.3 m shallow lake are most fertile. In particular, along the northern shore and in its surroundings extensive sugar cane fields have been created that are irrigated with water from the lake.

History

The lake has a rich history and was part of the kingdom Tekrur, Waalo and Jolof. On the west bank was the still existing as a settlement Santander the third and final capital of the kingdom of Waalo. Formerly the lake to the people of the Fulbe as Lac du Panier Foule or Pania Fuli was called.