Senegal is bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania and
encloses the confederated state of The Gambia. To the west lies the Atlantic
Ocean. On the coast between Dakar and St Louis is a strip of shifting dunes.
South of Dakar there are shallow estuaries along the coastline, fringed by palm
trees.
Dakar, the capital, is a bustling modern city and major port with
good restaurants and shops. There is an interesting boat ride to Gorée Island,
a former slaving station. St Louis, once Senegal's capital, is another French
fortified settlement from the days of slave trading.
Dakar is the capital of
Senegal, home to the Senegal National Assembly and Senegal Presidential Palace.
The city of Dakar formed around a French fort. It was founded in 1857 after
residents moved from the nearby island of Gorée.
It grew as a port and around a
railway to Saint-Louis, opened in 1885 but now only used for special
excursions. The city later became a naval base, and replaced Saint-Louis as the
capital of French West Senegal.
Specialized in haute-couture, embroidered traditional West African Muslim
clothes