Information AboutDakar |
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- a northern suburb of Dakar, near the Yoff Airport .]] For Dakar Rally, see Dakar Rally . For the Israeli submarine, see INS 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 . In 2005 the population of the metropolitan area was estimated at 2.4 million people, of whom about 1 million live in the city of Dakar proper. Dakar is a major administrative centre, home to the Senegal National Assembly and Senegal Presidential Palace . GEOGRAPHY Dakar is located at 14°40'20" North, 17°25'22" West (14.67222, -17.422778). {Link without Title} HISTORY The city of Dakar was formed around a French fort. It was founded in 1857 after residents moved from the nearby island of Gorée . The settlement grew as a Port and Railway hub, the latter opening in 1885 with a route to Saint-Louis ; the train is 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. 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. The Battle Of Dakar took place off the coast of Dakar on September 23 - September 25 , 1940 . ADMINISTRATION The city of Dakar is a Commune , (also sometimes known as ''commune de ville''), one of the 67 communes of Senegal. The commune of Dakar was created by the French colonial administration on June 17 , 1887 by detaching it from the commune of Gorée . The commune of Gorée, created in 1872 , was itself one of the oldest western-style municipalities in Africa (along with the municipalities of Algeria and South Africa ). The commune of Dakar has been in continuous existence since 1887, being preserved by the new state of Senegal after independence in 1960, although its limits have varied considerably over time. The limits of the commune of Dakar have been unchanged since 1983 . The commune of Dakar is ruled by a democratically elected municipal council (''conseil municipal'') serving five years, and a mayor elected by the municipal council. There have been 20 mayors in Dakar since 1887. The first Black mayor was Blaise Diagne , mayor of Dakar from 1924 to 1934 . The longest serving mayor was Mamadou Diop , mayor for 18 years between 1984 and 2002 . The commune of Dakar is also a '' Département '', one of the 34 ''départements'' of Senegal. This situation is quite similar to Paris in France which is both a commune and a ''département''. However, contrary to French ''départements'', ''départements'' in Senegal have no political power (no departmental assembly), and are merely local administrative structures of the central state, in charge of carrying out some administrative services as well as controlling the activities of the communes within the ''département''. The ''département'' of Dakar is divided into four , being merely local administrative structures of the central state, like the Senegalese ''départements'', and are thus more comparable to French Departmental Arrondissements . In 1996 , a massive reform of the administrative and political divisions of Senegal was voted by the Parliament of Senegal. The commune of Dakar, whose population approached 1 million inhabitants, was deemed too large and too populated to be properly managed by a central municipality, and so on August 30 , 1996 Dakar was divided into 19 ''communes d'arrondissement''. These ''communes d'arrondissement'' were given extensive powers, and are very much like regular communes. They have more powers than the arrondissements of Paris, and are more akin to the London Borough s. The commune of Dakar was maintained above these 19 ''communes d'arrondissement'', and it coordinates the activities of the ''communes d'arrondissement'', much as Greater London coordinates the activities of the London boroughs. The 19 ''communes d'arrondissement'' belong to either of the four arrondissements of Dakar, and the '' Sous-préfet '' of each arrondissement is in charge of controlling the activities of the ''communes d'arrondissement'' in his arrondissement. The ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Dakar-Plateau (34,626 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée, is the historical heart of the city, and most ministries and public administrations are located there. The densest and most populated ''commune d'arrondissement'' is Médina (136,697 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. The ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Yoff (55,995 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Almadies, is the largest one, while the smallest one is the ''commune d'arrondissement'' of Île De Gorée (1,034 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. The ''département'' of Dakar is one of the four ''départements'' of the Dakar ''région'' , which is one of the 11 ''régions Of Senegal'' . The Dakar ''région'' encompasses the city of Dakar and all its suburbs along the Cape Verde Peninsula . Its territory is thus roughly the same as the territory of the metropolitan area of Dakar. Since the administrative reforms of 1996, the ''régions'' of Senegal, which until then were merely local administrative structures of the central state, have been turned into full-fledged political units, with democratically elected regional councils, and regional presidents. They were given extensive powers, and manage economic development, transportation, or environmental protection issues at the regional level, thus coordinating the actions of the communes below them. Following the political transition of 2000 when , 2002, and saw the PDS largely defeating the Socialists. Pape Diop was elected mayor of Dakar, defeating the long time Socialist mayor Mamadou Diop, while Abdoulaye Faye was elected president of the regional council of the Dakar ''région'', defeating the Socialists who hitherto controlled the ''région''. SIGHTS Attractions in Dakar include major Market s, Dakar Grand Mosque (built in 1964 ), Gorée Island , the IFAN Museum of West Africa n culture, Cliff top walks and Beach es, and Hann Park , home to Senegal Zoo . TRANSPORTATION 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 . MISCELLANEOUS Dakar is the finishing point of the Paris Dakar Rally and Dakar is member of the Organization Of World Heritage Cities . Cheikh Anta Diop University , also known as the University of Dakar, was established in 1957 . SISTER CITIES EXTERNAL LINKS
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