Dakar
Sign in to saveDakar ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023.
AI overview
Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal, located in West Africa. With a metropolitan population of 4 million people as of 2023, it serves as the country's primary urban and administrative center.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Settlement.name
- Dakar
- Settlement.settlement_type
- Capital city
- Settlement.image_flag
- Flag of Dakar, Senegal.svg
- Settlement.image_shield
- Coat of arms of Dakar, Senegal.svg
- Settlement.image_map
- Dakar districts.svg
- Settlement.map_caption
- City of Dakar, divided into 19 ''communes d'arrondissement''
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- Senegal#Africa
- Settlement.pushpin_relief
- 1
- Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
- Location within Senegal
- Settlement.subdivision_type
- Country
- Settlement.subdivision_type1
- Région
- Settlement.subdivision_type2
- Département
Article
16 sectionsContents
- History
- Geography
- Climate
- Climate change
- Administration
- Notable sites
- Places of worship
- Culture
- Museums
- Sports
- Transport
- Notable people
- International relations
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023.
Dakar is situated on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of mainland Africa. Cap-Vert was colonized by the Portuguese in the early 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 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. Dakar will host the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics.
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Categories
1664 establishments in the British Empire1677 establishments in the French colonial empire1857 establishments in the French colonial empireCapital cities in AfricaCommunes of SenegalDakarPopulated coastal places in SenegalPopulated places established in the 15th centuryPopulated places in Dakar regionPort cities and towns in AfricaRegional capitals in Senegal