Dakar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dakar Ville de Dakar
City
Dakar urban area
Coat of arms
Location of Dakar in Senegal
Country	Senegal
Région	Dakar
Département	Dakar
Settled	15th century
Communes d'arrondissement	19 Cambérène Parcelles Assaines Pattie d'Oies Hann Bel-Air Dieuppeul Derklé HLM Biscuiterie Grand Dakar Plateau Médina Fass-Gueule Tapée-Colobane Fann Point-E Mermoz-Sacré-Coeur Ouakam Yoff Ngor Liberté Grand-Yoff Cape Verde Peninsula
Area
• City	82.38 km2 (31.81 sq mi)
• Metro	547 km2 (211 sq mi)
Population  (December 31, 2005 estimate)
• City	1,030,594
• Density	12,510/km2 (32,400/sq mi)
• Metro	2,452,656
• Metro density	4,484/km2 (11,610/sq mi)
	Data here are for the administrative Dakar région, which matches almost exactly the limits of the metropolitan area
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
Website	http://www.villededakar.org/

Dakar is the capital city of Senegal. It is on the country's Atlantic coast on the western edge of Africa. The city is a trade seaport for items leaving Africa. Dakar has a population of 1,030,594 people. The metropolitan area has about 2.45 million people living in it.

The National Assembly of Senegal and Senegal Presidential Palace are in Dakar.

History

The area that is now Dakar was first settled around the 15th century. In 1444, Portuguese created a colony there. By 1536, the colony was being used to as part of the slave trade. Between 1588 and 1677, the area was fought over by many countries. During this time it was under the control of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, and finally the French.

In 1857, the French built a military base here. This base was called Dakar. It was made the capital of French West Africa in 1902. Dakar was one of the major cities of the French Empire during this time. It was very important in terms of trade, military, and communications to the empire until World War II.

The city was the capital of the Mali Federation from 1959 to 1960. It then became the capital of Senegal.

Notable places

The Dakar Railway Station

Attractions in Dakar include major markets, Dakar Grand Mosque (built in 1964), Gorée Island, the IFAN Museum of West African culture, clifftop walks and beaches, and Hann Park, home to Senegal Zoo.

The town serves as a port and is home to the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport. It is also the terminus of the Dakar-Niger railroad line.

Dakar is the finishing point of the Dakar Rally and is a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities. Cheikh Anta Diop University, also known as the University of Dakar, was established in 1957.

Images for kids

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  A public water well, 1899

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  Dakar Entrepôt. ca. 1900

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  Harbor Dakar, 1905

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  View of Dakar from the International Space Station in 2011

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  The Assemblée nationale on the Plateau, the heart of old Dakar

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  Deux Mamelles seen from afar, with the African Renaissance Monument on the left and Les Mamelles Lighthouse on the right

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  Beach in Dakar

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  N'dawrabine dance of Ngor

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  IFAN Museum of African Arts.

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  Blaise Diagne International Airport

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  The Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD (TER)

See also

In Spanish: Dakar para niños