SENEGAL - DAKAR
FAST FACTS
REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL
• Senegal has been part of several West African empires including the Kingdom of Ghana.
• Senegal was of great interest to the Portuguese, British, French and Dutch due to its strategic location for trading slaves and goods.
• In the 17th and 18th century, the world knew Senegal for three things; slaves, ivory, and gold. These things attracted not only traders but also many pirates of class and repute.
The UNESCO-listed island of Gorée lies off the coast of Senegal. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast.
• Dakar holds over 30 percent of Senegal’s total population. A whopping 5 million locals call Dakar their home. The Cape Verde Peninsula in west-central Senegal is the westernmost point of continental Africa.
- • Senegal is home to Fadiouth, a small car-free island made entirely of clamshells including the houses, streets and cemeteries.
• American singer Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam popularly known as Akon lived in Senegal during his childhood. He revealed in 2018 that he would be developing his own cryptocurrency to bolster economic activity in his ancestral country.
• Senegal has never suffered a coup d’état . Senegal maintains a level of peace with its citizens and international allies, making the country one of the safest to visit in Africa.
- • TikTok sensation Khaby Lame was born in Senegal. The 22-year-old is TikTok’s most followed creator with 152.5 million followers.
• If you head one hour east of metropolitan Dakar, you can reach Lac Retba – better known as the Pink Lake. The reason the lake is pink is because of the high concentration of salt.
- • In Senegal, boubou is a wide, light garment in Wax or Bazin, pleasant to wear, which is the typical traditional dress of the Senegalese.
• Senegal is home to Africa’s tallest statue. The African Renaissance Monument soars 49 metres (160-ft) high above the Senegalese capital.
- • The unofficial dessert of Senegal is thiakry. Thiakry (ch-a-k-ree) is a dish served at Senegalese festivities and sometimes after dinner. It is a blended mix of vanilla yogurt and millet that can be added with additional sugar.
• Some drivers in Senegal attach horse, sheep or cattle hair to their taxis for good luck. Blessed by religious leaders, these tails are believed to provide good fortune.
• Senegal has historically been overlooked by surfing crowds — but not for much longer. The Almadies peninsular in Dakar is the most popular surf spot, boasting powerful waves and big swells.