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{{See also|Timeline of Serer history|Serer ancient history|Serer history (medieval era to present)|Religious persecution#Persecution of Serers}}
[[Image:Bifeche.jpg|thumb|Biffeche.]] {{Serer religion}}
'''Biffeche''' or '''Bifeche''' is an area of [[Senegal]] centred on the town of Savoigne, around 30 kilometres north-east of the major coastal city of [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]].

Low-lying and largely flat, the region is populated by [[Fula people|Fula]],{{efn|In {{langx|fr|italic=yes|Peul}} or ''Peulh''; in {{langx|ff|Fulɓe}}.}}, [[Serer-Ndut people|Serer-Ndut]], [[Wolof people|Wolof]] and [[Moors|Moor]] ethnic groups. The inhabitants' primary economic activities include animal herding and irrigation-based farming. Savoigne is the region's largest town, twinned with [[:fr:La Ferté-Macé|La Ferté Macé]]; its SOCAS tomato-paste factory imports and dilutes tomato paste for re-shipment within Senegal. The population is primarily [[Muslim]], but also contains [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] and [[African traditional religion|animists]].  The [[Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary]] is located to the north.

==History==
The Serer-Ndut were the earliest known inhabitants of Biffeche. Strong  adherents to their native [[Serer religion]],<ref>[[Henry Gravrand|Gravrand, Henry]], "La civilisation Sereer  - ''Cosaan'' : les origines, vol.1, pp 140-146, Nouvelles Editions [[Africa]]ines, 1983, {{ISBN|2-7236-0877-8}}</ref><ref name="Ndut1">For more  about the [[Serer-Ndut people]], see  : [[Marguerite Dupire|Dupire, Marguerite]], "Sagesse [[Serer people|sereer]]: Essais sur la pensée [[Serer-Ndut people|sereer ndut]]", [https://books.google.com/books?id=Fag2wuiV7t8C&q=Sagesse+sereer:essais+sur+la+pense+sereer+ndut]</ref><ref>Klein, Martin A., "Islam  and Imperialism in [[Senegal]], [[Sine-Saloum]]" 1847-1914, pp vii-5, [[Edinburgh University Press]], (1968), {{ISBN|0-85224-029-5}}</ref><ref>[[Serer-Ndut people]] in [http://www10.gencat.net/pres_casa_llengues/AppJava/frontend/llengues_detall.jsp?id=620&idioma=9 Lingua Món Casa de les Llengües] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517151845/http://www10.gencat.net/pres_casa_llengues/AppJava/frontend/llengues_detall.jsp?id=620&idioma=9 |date=2014-05-17 }}</ref> they were persecuted and killed by the [[:Category:Muslim communities of Senegal|Muslims communities of Senegal]], and suffered further persecution under [[French colonial empire|French colonial rule]].<ref>Becker, Charles, "Les Serer Ndut: Études sur les mutations sociales et religieuses", Microéditions Hachette (1974)</ref><ref name="Ndut">Echenberg, Myron J, "Black death, white medicine: bubonic plague and the politics of public health in colonial Senegal, 1914-1945", pp 141-146, Heinemann (2002), {{ISBN|0-325-07017-2}},</ref> 

Early European accounts described a medium-sized island (''Isle de Bifeche'') in the delta of the [[Senegal River]],  some two miles upstream from the island of N'Dar on which Saint-Louis was founded. ''The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge'' described the island in 1843 as being "entirely covered with wood, and in the wet season a great portion of them is laid under water."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FtYtp9FJcuYC&q=Bifeche&pg=PA231|title=The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge|date=February 20, 1841|publisher=C. Knight|via=Google Books}}</ref><!--NO external links in article text, nothing else in this paragraph to keep.
Currently, the river marks this section of the border between [[Mauritania]] 
and [[Senegal]].  The island can perhaps most easily be seen on the map [https://web.archive.org/web/20060212134527/http://www.au-senegal.com/decouvrir_en/cart_stlouis.htm]
with one of its main towns [[Maka, Biffeche|Maka]] [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=15.9833,-16.5000&spn=0.1,0.1&t=k&hl=en] clearly marked.  A contemporary map can be found at 
[http://senegalmaur.ifrance.com/st-louis-com-traite.html]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} - this map shows N'Dar under its older French name of
''Isle St. Louis'' and the ''Pointe de isle de Bifeche'' is also visible.  On the island is written ''Emboulan''
which appears to be a European variant of a local town name [[Mboubène]].  It can also be just seen at the extreme top of [https://web.archive.org/web/20051122063200/http://www.au-senegal.com/decouvrir_en/cart_1753.htm Senegal in 1753]. -->

In the 17th century a chief known as the ''Petit [[Brak (African kings)|Brak]]'' or ''Little King'' ruled over a region known variously as Biffeche or Gangueul with its capital at Maka.  The ''Grand Brak'' or ''Big King'' ruled the kingdom of [[Waalo]], whose capital was originally at Ndiourbel on the north bank of the river. The area was nearly depopulated by repeated slaving raids by Moors from the north.  At times, the Petit Brak was tributary to Waalo, at other times allied with [[Bethio]]. In the 1720s, the Brak of Waalo was Erim M'Bagnick and Béquio Malicouri, king of the ''Royaume d'Oral'' (Bethio), was his vassal.

==Notes==
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{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===General===
*Barry, Boubacar.  ''Le royaume du Waalo - Le Senegal avant la conquete''. Karthala, 1985.
*Becker, Charles and Martin, Victor.  ''Journal Historique et Suitte du Journal Historique (1729-1731)'' 39.2 (1977): 223–289.   [https://web.archive.org/web/20060908121055/http://tekrur-ucad.refer.sn/IMG/pdf/JOURHIST1729-1731global.pdf Wayback Machine]
*Cultru, Prosper.  ''Premier voyage du Sieur de la Courbe...''. Paris: Larose, 1913.
*''Encyclopedie, dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une société de gens de lettres, mis en ordre et publié par Mr. * * *, tome quinzieme.'' Neufchastel, France: Samuel Faulche, 1765. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060322204643/http://portail.atilf.fr/cgi-bin/getobject_?p.112%3A14.%2Fvar%2Fartfla%2Fencyclopedie%2Ftextdata%2FIMAGE%2F Facsimile page]
*Knight, Charles. ''The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge'', ''Vol. XXI.'' London, 1843: 231. [https://books.google.com/books?id=FtYtp9FJcuYC&dq=Bifeche&pg=PA231 Public domain copy]
*Labat, Jean-Baptiste.  ''Nouvelle Relation de l’Afrique occidentale''.  Paris: Cavelier, 1727. t. 2, p.&nbsp;174.
*Thésée, Françoise. ''Actes du colloque de Nantes'', tome I. 1988. 223–245. [http://www.ankhonline.com/population_afrique.htm population afrique].
*Thilmans, Guy. Bull. ''Les planches sénégalaises et mauritaniennes des “Atlas Vingboons” '', G. [[Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire|IFAN]], B. t. 37.1 (1975): 106–109.
*[[Henry Gravrand|Gravrand, Henry]], "La civilisation Sereer - Cosaan : les origines, vol.1, pp 140-146, Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1983, {{ISBN|2-7236-0877-8}}
*Echenberg, Myron J, "Black death, white medicine: bubonic plague and the politics of public health in colonial Senegal, 1914-1945", pp 141–146, Heinemann (2002), {{ISBN|0-325-07017-2}}
*Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal, Sine-Saloum", pp VII-5, Edinburgh University Press, (1968), {{ISBN|0-85224-029-5}}
*[[Marguerite Dupire|Dupire, Marguerite]], "Sagesse [[Serer people|sereer]]: Essais sur la pensée [[Serer-Ndut people|sereer ndut]]", [https://books.google.com/books?id=Fag2wuiV7t8C&q=Sagesse+sereer:essais+sur+la+pense+sereer+ndut Sagesse sereer: essais sur la pensée sereer ndut]
*Becker, Charles, "Les Serer Ndut: Études sur les mutations sociales et religieuses", Microéditions Hachette (1974)

== Historical maps ==
*''Cours de la rivière de Sanaga ou Sénégal depuis son embouchure jusqu'à l'île de Bilbas / Suite du cours de la rivière de Sénégal depuis l'isle de Bilbas jusqu'au sault du Rocherde Govina / levé par un ingénieur francois'', 1718. [http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/CadresFenetre?O=IFN-7759789&M=notice&Y=ImagesFixes Online at BNF]
*''Carte de la rivière du Sénégal depuis la Barre jusqu'au Panier Foule des petites rivières et marigots qui en dérivent avec les noms des villages qui sont au bord, fait au Sénégal'', 1720. [http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/CadresFenetre?O=IFN-7759451&M=notice&Y=ImagesFixes Online at BNF]
*Anville, Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon, ''Carte manuscrite de la côte d'Afrique aux environs de Gorée et de la rivière du Sénégal depuis Cagneux jusqu'à son embouchure''. 1724. [http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/CadresFenetre?O=IFN-7759788&M=notice&Y=ImagesFixes Online at BNF]

== External links ==
*[https://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=16.301687,-16.093597&spn=0.727576,1.192017&z=10 Google Maps satellite image of the Senegal River delta]
*[http://epe.cirad.fr/fr/doc/atelier_09_05_corniaux.pdf Area Map]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020606123944/http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/histoire.html History (in French)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091210131718/http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/ethnies.html Ethnicity (in French)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020605222338/http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/religion.html Religion (in French)]
*[http://www.chez.com/afroweb/sen_his.htm Senegalese History and Geography (mainly in French)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051228152354/http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-27937-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html Horticulture (in French)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051125163711/http://www.ausenegal.com/decouvrir_en/parc_djoudj.htm Parc du Djoudj]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051012141557/http://crdp.ac-martinique.fr/ressources/caraibe/histoiregeo/didactique/ali_shandora/resultats_recherche.htm  Indigenous chief Béquio Malicouri]

{{Serer topics|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Regions of West Africa by country]]
[[Category:Regions of Senegal]]
[[Category:Serer country]]
[[Category:Serer precolonial kingdoms]]
[[Category:Geography of Africa|Biffeche]]
[[Category:History of Africa|Biffeche]]
[[Category:French West Africa|Biffeche (Region of Senegal)]]
[[Category:Geography of Senegal|Biffeche]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of Senegal|Biffeche]]
[[Category:Countries in precolonial Africa]]