View source for Dakar

{{Short description|Capital and the largest city of Senegal}}
{{About|the capital and largest city of Senegal}}
{{Distinguish|text= Bangladesh's capital city [[Dhaka]]}}
{{Infobox settlement

<!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available-->
| name                            = Dakar
| settlement_type                 = [[Capital city]]
| image_skyline                   = {{multiple image
 | border      = infobox
 | total_width = 280
 | perrow      = 1/2/2/1
 | caption_align = center
 | image1      = Dakar-Indépendance.jpg
 | caption1    = Place de l'indépendance
 | image2      = Gorée-MaisonEsclaves1.jpg
 | caption2    = [[House of Slaves|Maison des Esclaves]] in [[Gorée]]
 | image3      = OuakamMosquée.jpg
 | caption3    = [[Mosque of Divinity]]
 | image4      = Soumbedioune Boats (5405595088).jpg
 | caption4    = Soumbedioune boats of [[Médina, Dakar|Médina]]
 | image5      = Ngor Beach.jpg
 | caption5    = [[Ngor, Dakar|Ngor beach]]
 | image6      = Dakar - Panorama urbain.jpg
 | caption6    = Aerial view of Dakar
 | image7      = Monument renaissance.jpg
 | caption7    = [[African Renaissance Monument]]}}
| image_caption                   = 
| image_flag                      = Flag of Dakar, Senegal.svg
| image_seal                      = 
| image_shield                    = Coat of arms of Dakar, Senegal.svg
| shield_size                     = 
| image_map                       = Dakar districts.svg
| map_caption                     = City of Dakar, divided into 19 ''communes d'arrondissement''
| pushpin_map                     = Senegal#Africa
| pushpin_relief                  = 1
| pushpin_label_position          = <!-- position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location within Senegal
| coordinates                     = {{Coord|14|41|34|N|17|26|48|W|region:SN-DK_type:city(1,000,000)|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|Senegal}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[Regions of Senegal|Région]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[Departments of Senegal|Département]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Dakar Region|Dakar]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Dakar Department|Dakar]]
| established_title               = Settled
| established_date                = 15th century
| parts_type                      = Communes d'arrondissement
| parts                           = 19
| p1                              = Cambérène
| leader_party                    = [[PASTEF]]
| leader_title                    = [[List of mayors of Dakar|Mayor]]
| leader_name                     = [[Abass Fall]]
| area_total_km2                  = 79.83
| area_metro_km2                  = 535
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dakar.climatemps.com/map.php| title = climatemps.com}}</ref>
| elevation_m                     = 22
| population_total                = 1278469
| population_as_of                = 2023 Census
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="Senegal: Administrative Division">[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/senegal/admin/ Senegal: Administrative Division]</ref>
| population_est                  =
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_metro                = 4004427<ref name="Senegal: Administrative Division"/>
| population_density_metro_km2    = 7485
| population_note                 = Data here is for the administrative Dakar ''région'', which closely aligns with the limits of the Dakar metropolitan area
| postal_code_type                = 
| postal_code                     = 12500
| area_code                       = 
| website                         = {{URL|https://www.villededakar.sn/|villededakar.sn}}
| footnotes                       = 
| p2                              = Parcelles Assaines
| p3                              = Pattie d'Oies
| p4                              = Hann Bel-Air
| p5                              = Dieuppeul Derklé
| p6                              = HLM
| p7                              = Biscuiterie
| p8                              = Grand Dakar
| p9                              = Plateau
| p10                             = Médina
| p11                             = Fass-Gueule Tapée-Colobane
| p12                             = Fann Point-E
| p13                             = Mermoz-Sacré-Coeur
| p14                             = Ouakam
| p15                             = Yoff
| p16                             = Ngor
| p17                             = Liberté
| p18                             = Grand-Yoff
| p19                             = Cape Verde Peninsula
| timezone                        = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset                      = ±00:00
| official_name                   = 
}}

'''Dakar''' ({{IPAc-en|d|ɑː|ˈ|k|ɑːr|,_|d|æ|-}} {{small|[[British English|UK also]]:}} {{IPAc-en|'|d|æ|k|ɑːr}};<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dakar |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dakar |access-date=17 December 2022 |website=Cambridge Dictionary}} ("Definition of Dakar from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press")</ref> {{IPA|fr|dakaʁ|lang}}; {{langx|wo|Ndakaaru}})<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Dakar |title=Dakar – definition of Dakar |work=The Free Dictionary |access-date=29 October 2013 }} {{IPAc-en|d|ə|ˈ|k|ɑːr|,_|d|ɑː|ˈ|k|ɑːr|,_|ˈ|d|æ|k|ər}} {{cite encyclopedia |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Dakar |title=Define Dakar |dictionary=Dictionary.com |access-date=29 October 2013 }}</ref> is the [[capital city|capital]] and [[List of cities in Senegal|largest city]] of [[Senegal]]. The [[Departments of Senegal|department]] of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023.

Dakar is situated on the [[Cap-Vert]] peninsula, the westernmost point of mainland Africa.<ref>Roger J., Banton O., Barusseau J.-P., Castaigne P., Comte J.-C., Duvail C., Nehlig P., Noël B. J., Serrano O., Travi Y., ''Notice explicative de la cartographie multi-couches à 1/50 000 et 1/20 000 de la zone d’activité du Cap-Vert'', Ministère des Mines, de l’Industrie et des PME, Direction des Mines et de la Géologie, Dakar, 245 p., 2009d.</ref> Cap-Vert was colonized by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] in the early 15th century. The Portuguese established a presence on the island of [[Gorée]] off the coast of Cap-Vert and used it as a base for the [[Atlantic slave trade]]. [[Kingdom of France|France]] took over the island in 1677. Following the abolition of the slave trade and French annexation of the mainland area in the 19th century, Dakar grew into a major regional port and a major city of the [[French colonial empire]]. In 1902, Dakar replaced [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]] as the capital of [[French West Africa]]. From 1959 to 1960, Dakar was the capital of the short-lived [[Mali Federation]]. In 1960, it became the capital of the independent Republic of Senegal. Dakar will host the [[2026 Summer Youth Olympics]].

== History ==
{{For timeline}}
The [[Cap-Vert]] peninsula was settled no later than the 15th century by the [[Lebu people]], an aquacultural subgroup of the Wolof ethnic group. The original villages—Ouakam, Ngor, [[Yoff]] and Hann—still constitute distinctively [[Lebou]] neighborhoods of the city today. In 1444, the [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portuguese]] reached the Bay of Dakar.<ref>[[Dinis Dias]] doubled Cap-Vert in 1444, but it is unclear if he sailed into the bay itself. [[Álvaro Fernandes]] anchored at the uninhabited island of Goree and lured and captured two natives off a Lebou fishing canoe before being driven off. The large slaving fleet of [[Lançarote de Freitas]] anchored in the bay, but their attempts to reach the mainland shore were fended off by missile fire and took no captives. The subsequent fleets of Estêvão Afonso (1446) and Valarte (1447) stopped briefly at Goree, but were also fended off the shores and took no captives. In the aftermath, Prince [[Henry the Navigator]] suspended all Portuguese expeditions beyond Cap-Vert for nearly a decade. There are no more recorded attempts until contact was made in 1456. (As reported in the 1453 chronicle of [[Gomes Eanes de Zurara]])</ref><ref>B.W. Diffie and G.D. Winius (1977) ''Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415–1580'' Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.83-85</ref><ref>A. Teixeira da Mota (1946) "A descoberta da Guiné", ''Boletim cultural da Guiné Portuguesa'', Vol. 1. No. 2 (Apr), p. 273-326.</ref> Peaceful contact was finally opened in 1456 by [[Diogo Gomes]], and the bay was subsequently referred to as the "''Angra de Bezeguiche''" (after the name of the local ruler).<ref name=mota>A. Teixeira da Mota (1968) "Ilha de Santiago e Angra de Bezeguiche, escalas da carreira da India", ''Do tempo e da historia'', Lisbon, v.3, pp.141-49.</ref>  The bay of "Bezeguiche" would go on to serve as a critical stop for the [[Portuguese India Armadas]] of the early 16th century, where large fleets would routinely stop, both on their outward and return journeys from India, to repair, collect fresh water from the rivulets and wells along the Cap-Vert shore and trade for provisions with the local people for their remaining voyage.<ref name=mota /> (It was famously during [[2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)#Conference at Bezeguiche|one of these stops]], in 1501, where the Florentine navigator [[Amerigo Vespucci]] began to construct his "[[New World]]" hypothesis about America.<ref>Vespucci's letter from Bezeguiche is reproduced in F.A. de Varnhagen (1865) ''Amerigo Vespucci'', pp.78-82.</ref>)

The Portuguese eventually founded a settlement on the island of [[Gorée]] (then known as the island of Bezeguiche or Palma), which by 1536 they began to use as a base for slave exportation. The mainland of Cap-Vert, however, was under control of the [[Jolof Empire]], as part of the western province of [[Cayor]], which seceded from Jolof in its own right in 1549. A new Lebou village, called Ndakaaru, was established directly across from Gorée in the 17th century to service the European [[trading factory]] with food and drinking water. Gorée was captured by the [[Dutch Republic|United Netherlands]] in 1588, which gave it its present name (spelled ''Goeree'', after [[Goeree-Overflakkee]] in the Netherlands).{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} The island switched hands between the Portuguese and Dutch several more times before falling to the English under [[Robert Holmes (admiral)|Admiral Robert Holmes]] on January 23, 1664, and finally to the French in 1677. Though under continuous French administration since, multiracial people, descended from Dutch and French traders and African wives, dominated the slave trade. The infamous "[[House of Slaves]]" was built at Gorée in 1776.

In 1795, the Lebou of Cape Verde revolted against Cayor rule. A new theocratic state, subsequently called the "Lebou Republic" by the French, was established under the leadership of the Diop, a Muslim clerical family originally from Koki in Cayor. The capital of the republic was established at Ndakaaru. In 1857, the French established a military post at Ndakaaru (which they called "Dakar") and annexed the Lebou Republic, though its institutions continued to function nominally. The Serigne (also spelled Sëriñ, "Lord") of Ndakaaru is still recognized as the traditional political authority of the Lebou by the Senegalese State today.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

The slave trade was abolished by France in February 1794. However, [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] reinstated the slave trade in May 1802. The slave trade continued at Gorée until 1848, when it was finally abolished throughout all French territories. To replace trade in slaves, the French promoted peanut cultivation on the mainland. As the peanut trade boomed, tiny Gorée Island, whose population had grown to 6,000&nbsp;residents, proved ineffectual as a port. Traders from Gorée decided to move to the mainland, and a "factory" with warehouses was established in [[Rufisque]] in 1840.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

[[File:061 Dakar. - Une fontaine publique.jpg|left|thumb|A public water well, 1899]]
Large public expenditure for infrastructure was allocated by the colonial authorities to Dakar's development. The port facilities were improved with jetties, a telegraph line was established along the coast to [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]], and the [[Dakar-Saint-Louis railway]] was completed in 1885, at which point the city became an important base for the conquest of the [[Western Sudan]].

Gorée, including Dakar, was recognised as a French ''commune'' in 1872. Dakar itself was split off from Gorée as a separate ''commune'' in 1887. The citizens of the city elected their own mayor and municipal council, and helped send an elected representative to the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] in Paris. Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of [[French West Africa]] in 1902.<ref>Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLIO, US, 2013, p. 93</ref> A second major railroad, the [[Dakar-Niger railway|Dakar-Niger]] built from 1906 to 1923, linked Dakar to Bamako and consolidated the city's position at the head of France's West African empire.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} In 1929, the ''commune'' of Gorée Island, now with only a few hundred inhabitants, was merged into Dakar.

[[File:057 Dakar. - Les entrepôts.jpg|thumb|left|Dakar Entrepôt. {{Circa|1900}}]]

Urbanization during the colonial period was marked by forms of racial and social segregation—often expressed in terms of health and hygiene—which continue to structure the city today. Following a plague epidemic in 1914, the authorities forced most of the African population out of old neighborhoods, or "Plateau", and into a new quarter, called Médina, separated from it by a "sanitary cordon". As first occupants of the land, the Lebou inhabitants of the city successfully resisted this expropriation. They were supported by [[Blaise Diagne]], the first African to be elected Deputy to the National Assembly. Nonetheless, the Plateau thereafter became an administrative, commercial, and residential district increasingly reserved for Europeans and served as a model for similar exclusionary administrative enclaves in French Africa's other colonial capitals (Bamako, Conakry, Abidjan, Brazzaville). Meanwhile, the Layene Sufi order, established by [[Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye]], was thriving among the Lebou in Yoff and in a new village called Cambérène. Since independence, urbanization has sprawled eastward past Pikine, a commuter suburb whose population (2001 est. 1,200,000) is greater than that of Dakar proper, to Rufisque, creating a [[conurbation]] of almost 3&nbsp;million (over a quarter of the national population).{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

[[File:Harbor, Dakar, Sénégal (West Africa), c. 1905 (7792576026).jpg|thumb|Harbor Dakar, 1905]]

In its colonial heyday, Dakar was one of the major cities of the French Empire, comparable to [[Hanoi]] or [[Beirut]].{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} French trading firms established branch offices there, and industrial investments (mills, breweries, refineries, canneries) were attracted by its port and rail facilities. It was also strategically important to France, which maintained an important naval base and coaling station in its harbor, and which integrated it into its earliest air force and airmail circuits, most notably with the legendary Mermoz airfield (no longer extant).

{{Main|Battle of Dakar}}
In 1940, Dakar became involved in the [[WW II|Second World War]] when [[Charles de Gaulle|General de Gaulle]], leader of the [[Free France|Free French]] Forces, sought to make the city the base of his resistance operations. The object was to raise the Free French flag in West Africa, to occupy Dakar and thus start to consolidate the French resistance of its colonies in Africa. The plan had British naval support when fighting alone against the Axis powers. However, due to delays and the plan becoming known, Dakar had already come under the influence of the German-controlled will of the [[Vichy France|Vichy government]]. With the arrival of French naval forces under Vichy control and faced by stubborn defences onshore, de Gaulle's proposals were resisted, and the Battle of Dakar ensued off the coast, lasting three days 23–25 September 1940, between the Vichy defences and the attack of the Free French and British navy. The enterprise was abandoned after appreciable naval losses. Although the initiative on Dakar failed, General de Gaulle was able to establish himself at [[Douala]] in the Cameroons, which became the rallying point for the resistance of the Free French cause.<ref>Winston Churchill, ''The Second World War'', Vol 2 Book II Chapter xxiv 'Dakar'.</ref><ref>John Williams, ''The Guns of Dakar: September, 1940'' (Heinemann Educational Books, 1976).</ref><ref>Martin Thomas, "The Anglo‐French divorce over West Africa and the limitations of strategic planning, June‐December 1940." ''Diplomacy and Statecraft'' 6.1 (1995): 252-278.</ref>

[[File:Thiaroye Mural DSCN1029.jpg|thumb|Mural in Dakar commemorating the [[Thiaroye massacre]]. It reads "Thiaroye '44, an unforgettable event".]]
In November 1944, West African conscripts in the French army mutinied against poor conditions at the Thiaroye camp, on the outskirts of the city. The mutiny was seen as an indictment of the colonial system and constituted a watershed for the nationalist movement. On 1 December 1944, French soldiers guarding the camp [[Thiaroye massacre|opened fire on the West African soldiers]]. Accounts of the death toll range from around 35 (the official French account) to over 300 (army veterans active at the time).

Dakar was the capital of the short-lived [[Mali Federation]] from 1959 to 1960, after which it became the capital of Senegal. The poet, philosopher and first President of [[Senegal]] [[Léopold Sédar Senghor]] tried to transform Dakar into the "Sub-Saharan African Athens" (l'Athènes de l'Afrique subsaharienne),<ref>{{cite web |title=Discours de réception de M. Jean-Claude JUNCKER comme membre associé étranger à l'Académie des Sciences morales et politiques |language=fr |url=http://www.geopolitis.net/DOCUMENTS%20SELECTIONNES/DISCOURSJUNCKER.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724071029/http://www.geopolitis.net/DOCUMENTS%20SELECTIONNES/DISCOURSJUNCKER.pdf |archive-date=2013-07-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as his vision was for it.

Dakar is a major financial centre, home to a dozen national and regional banks (including the [[Central Bank of West African States]] (BCEAO) which manages the unified [[West African CFA franc]] currency), and to numerous international organizations, NGOs and international research centers. Dakar has a large [[Lebanese people in Senegal|Lebanese community]] (concentrated in the import-export sector) that dates to the 1920s, a community of Moroccan businesspeople, as well as Mauritanian, [[Cape Verdeans in Senegal|Cape Verdean]], and Guinean communities. The city is home to as many as 20,000&nbsp;French expatriates.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} France still maintains an air force base at Yoff, and the French fleet is serviced in Dakar's port.

Beginning 1978 and until 2007, Dakar was frequently the ending point of the [[Dakar Rally]].

== Geography ==
[[File:Dakar, Senegal.JPG|thumb|View of Dakar from the [[International Space Station]] in 2011]]
Dakar is located on the [[Cap-Vert]] peninsula on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland.

=== Climate ===
Dakar has an ocean-influenced tropical [[hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''BSh''), with a short rainy season and a lengthy dry season. Dakar's rainy season lasts from July to October, while the dry season covers the remaining eight months. The city sees approximately {{convert|411|mm|abbr=on}} of rainfall per year.

Dakar between December and May is usually very warm with daily temperatures around {{convert|25|-|28|C|1}}. Nights during this time of the year are warm, some {{convert|18|-|20|C|1}}. However, between May and November, the city becomes decidedly hotter with daily highs reaching {{convert|29|-|31|C|1}} and night lows a little bit above {{convert|23|-|25|C|1}}. Notwithstanding this hotter season, Dakar's weather is far from being so hot as experienced in inland Sahelian cities like [[Niamey]] and [[N'Djamena]], where temperatures hover above {{convert|36|C|1}} for much of the year. Dakar is cooled year-round by sea breezes.
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Dakar (1991–2020)
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
|Jan record high C= 36.5
|Feb record high C= 39.8
|Mar record high C= 40.4
|Apr record high C= 34.7
|May record high C= 33.8
|Jun record high C= 39.4
|Jul record high C= 33.5
|Aug record high C= 34.5
|Sep record high C= 34.8
|Oct record high C= 37.8
|Nov record high C= 40.3
|Dec record high C= 39.4
| Jan high C = 25.9
| Feb high C = 25.2
| Mar high C = 25.2
| Apr high C = 25
| May high C = 26.2
| Jun high C = 28.7
| Jul high C = 30.1
| Aug high C = 30.5
| Sep high C = 30.9
| Oct high C = 31.3
| Nov high C = 30.1
| Dec high C = 27.9
| year high C = 
| Jan low C = 18.6
| Feb low C = 18
| Mar low C = 18.4
| Apr low C = 19.1
| May low C = 20.7
| Jun low C = 23.6
| Jul low C = 25.2
| Aug low C = 25.4
| Sep low C = 25.2
| Oct low C = 25.5
| Nov low C = 23.5
| Dec low C = 21
| year low C = 
| Jan record low C = 14.0
| Feb record low C = 14.4
| Mar record low C = 15.0
| Apr record low C = 15.3
| May record low C = 17.0
| Jun record low C = 19.3
| Jul record low C = 21.4
| Aug record low C = 20.0
| Sep record low C = 20.2
| Oct record low C = 18.8
| Nov record low C = 17.0
| Dec record low C = 14.8
| year record low C = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 1.2
| Feb precipitation mm = 0.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 0.1
| Apr precipitation mm = 0.0
| May precipitation mm = 0.0
| Jun precipitation mm = 7
| Jul precipitation mm = 52.8
| Aug precipitation mm = 165.6
| Sep precipitation mm = 138.4
| Oct precipitation mm = 26.3
| Nov precipitation mm = 0.3
| Dec precipitation mm = 0.4
| year precipitation mm = 
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| precip days colour = <!-- Enter "green" for green colours, "pastel" for pastel colours, "none" for no colours, remove this line for blue colouring. Affects rain and snow days as well -->
| Jan precipitation days = 0.1
| Feb precipitation days = 0.2
| Mar precipitation days = 0.1
| Apr precipitation days = 0
| May precipitation days = 0
| Jun precipitation days = 0.6
| Jul precipitation days = 4.2
| Aug precipitation days = 9.8
| Sep precipitation days = 9.2
| Oct precipitation days = 2.4
| Nov precipitation days = 0.1
| Dec precipitation days = 0.1
| year precipitation days = 
| source = NOAA NCEI<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Senegal/CSV/Dakar_61641.csv |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Senegal-Dakar |access-date=2024-01-07 |publisher=NOAA |format=CSV}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Dakar International Airport, Senegal (1961–1990)
|metric first= Y
|single line= Y
|temperature colour = 
|Jan record high C= 36.5
|Feb record high C= 39.8
|Mar record high C= 40.4
|Apr record high C= 34.7
|May record high C= 33.8
|Jun record high C= 39.4
|Jul record high C= 33.5
|Aug record high C= 34.5
|Sep record high C= 34.8
|Oct record high C= 37.8
|Nov record high C= 40.3
|Dec record high C= 39.5
|Jan high C = 26.1
|Feb high C = 25.0
|Mar high C = 25.7
|Apr high C = 25.3
|May high C = 26.4
|Jun high C = 29.0
|Jul high C = 30.3
|Aug high C = 30.6
|Sep high C = 31.1
|Oct high C = 31.5
|Nov high C = 30.4
|Dec high C = 28.3
|year high C = 28.3
|Jan mean C = 19.9
|Feb mean C = 20.5
|Mar mean C = 20.9
|Apr mean C = 21.4
|May mean C = 22.7
|Jun mean C = 25.5
|Jul mean C = 26.9
|Aug mean C = 27.3
|Sep mean C = 27.4
|Oct mean C = 27.4
|Nov mean C = 25.4
|Dec mean C = 22.5
|year mean C = 24.0
|Jan low C = 18.6
|Feb low C = 18.2
|Mar low C = 18.6
|Apr low C = 19.4
|May low C = 20.9
|Jun low C = 23.8
|Jul low C = 25.3
|Aug low C = 25.3
|Sep low C = 25.3
|Oct low C = 25.7
|Nov low C = 23.8
|Dec low C = 21.2
|year low C = 22.0
|Jan record low C= 14.0
|Feb record low C= 15.0
|Mar record low C= 16.0
|Apr record low C= 16.5
|May record low C= 17.2
|Jun record low C= 19.5
|Jul record low C= 21.5
|Aug record low C= 21.3
|Sep record low C= 18.9
|Oct record low C= 17.5
|Nov record low C= 17.9
|Dec record low C= 17.0
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 2.0
|Feb rain mm = 1.0
|Mar rain mm = 0.0
|Apr rain mm = 0.0
|May rain mm = 0.0
|Jun rain mm = 10.0
|Jul rain mm = 61.0
|Aug rain mm = 165.0
|Sep rain mm =  134.0
|Oct rain mm =  37.0
|Nov rain mm =  1.0
|Dec rain mm =  1.0
|year rain mm =  411
|Jan rain days = 1.9
|Feb rain days = 1.1
|Mar rain days = 1.1
|Apr rain days = 0.3
|May rain days = 0.5
|Jun rain days = 2.0
|Jul rain days = 7.0
|Aug rain days = 12.8
|Sep rain days = 9.4
|Oct rain days = 2.9
|Nov rain days = 1.4
|Dec rain days = 1.4
|Jan humidity = 69
|Feb humidity = 75
|Mar humidity = 76
|Apr humidity = 79
|May humidity = 79
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 79
|Sep humidity = 81
|Oct humidity = 79
|Nov humidity = 74
|Dec humidity = 66
|Jan sun = 244.9
|Feb sun = 245.8
|Mar sun = 285.2
|Apr sun = 288.0
|May sun = 291.4
|Jun sun = 252.0
|Jul sun = 232.5
|Aug sun = 223.2
|Sep sun = 219.0
|Oct sun = 257.3
|Nov sun = 249.0
|Dec sun = 238.7
|year sun = 3031.6

|source 1 = DWD<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_616410_kt.pdf
| title = Climate Averages for Dakar International Airport
| language = de
| publisher = DWD
| access-date = 7 September 2022}}</ref>

}}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Dakar mean sea temperature<ref name="DWD">{{cite web|title=Climate Averages for Dakar International Airport, Senegal|url=https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_616410_kt.pdf|publisher=DWD|access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
|-
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!Year
|-
|{{convert|22|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
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==== Climate change ====
A 2019 paper published in [[PLOS One]] estimated that under [[Representative Concentration Pathway#4.5|Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5]], a "moderate" scenario of [[climate change]] where global warming reaches ~{{convert|2.5-3|C-change|F-change}} by 2100, the climate of Dakar in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of [[Praia]] in [[Cape Verde]]. The annual temperature would increase by {{convert|1.5|C-change|F-change}}, and the temperature of the warmest and the coldest month by {{convert|1.4|C-change|F-change}} and {{convert|1.6|C-change|F-change}}, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bastin |first1=Jean-Francois |last2=Clark |first2=Emily |last3=Elliott |first3=Thomas |last4=Hart |first4=Simon |last5=van den Hoogen |first5=Johan |last6=Hordijk |first6=Iris |last7=Ma |first7=Haozhi |last8=Majumder |first8=Sabiha |last9=Manoli |first9=Gabriele |last10=Maschler |first10=Julia |last11=Mo |first11=Lidong |last12=Routh |first12=Devin |last13=Yu |first13=Kailiang |last14=Zohner |first14=Constantin M. |last15=Thomas W. |first15=Crowther |title=Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues |journal=PLOS ONE |date=10 July 2019 |volume=14 |issue=7 |at=S2 Table. Summary statistics of the global analysis of city analogues. |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0217592 |pmid=31291249 |pmc=6619606 |bibcode=2019PLoSO..1417592B |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://crowtherlab.pageflow.io/cities-of-the-future-visualizing-climate-change-to-inspire-action |title=Cities of the future: visualizing climate change to inspire action |at=Current vs. future cities |access-date=8 January 2023 |archive-date=8 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108082440/https://crowtherlab.pageflow.io/cities-of-the-future-visualizing-climate-change-to-inspire-action |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to [[Climate Action Tracker]], the current warming trajectory appears consistent with {{convert|2.7|C-change|F-change}}, which closely matches RCP 4.5.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/ |title=The CAT Thermometer |access-date=8 January 2023}}</ref>

Moreover, according to the 2022 [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report]], Dakar is one of 12 major African cities ([[Abidjan]], [[Alexandria]], [[Algiers]], [[Cape Town]], [[Casablanca]], Dakar, [[Dar es Salaam]], [[Durban]], [[Lagos]], [[Lomé]], [[Luanda]] and [[Maputo]]) which would be the most severely affected by future [[sea level rise]]. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of US$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from [[marine ice sheet instability]] at high levels of warming would involve up to US$137.5 billion in damages, while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to US$187 billion for the "moderate" RCP4.5, US$206 billion for RCP8.5 and US$397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario.<ref>Trisos, C.H., I.O. Adelekan, E. Totin, A. Ayanlade, J. Efitre, A. Gemeda, K. Kalaba, C. Lennard, C. Masao, Y. Mgaya, G. Ngaruiya, D. Olago, N.P. Simpson, and S. Zakieldeen 2022: [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter09.pdf Chapter 9: Africa]. In [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/ Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability] [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US, pp. 2043–2121</ref> Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf |title=Technical Summary. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |date=August 2021 |publisher=IPCC |page=TS14 |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>

== Administration ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=November 2021}}
{{multiple image
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| image1    = DakarGueuleTapée1.jpg
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| caption2  = Residential street in the upscale [[Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur|Mermoz]] quarter
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The city of Dakar is a [[commune (subnational entity)|commune]] (also sometimes known as ''commune de ville''), one of the 125&nbsp;communes of Senegal. The commune of Dakar was created by the French colonial administration on 17 June 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&nbsp;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 (politician)|Mamadou Diop]], mayor for 18&nbsp;years between 1984 and 2002.

The commune of Dakar is also a ''[[department (country subdivision)|department]]'', one of the 45&nbsp;[[departments of Senegal]]. This situation is quite similar to [[Paris]], which is both a commune and a department. However, contrary to French departments, departments 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 department.

The department of Dakar is divided into four [[Arrondissements of Senegal|arrondissements]]: [[Almadies Arrondissement|Almadies]], [[Grand Dakar Arrondissement|Grand Dakar]], [[Parcelles Assainies Arrondissement|Parcelles Assainies]] (which literally means "drained lots"; this is the most populous arrondissement of Dakar), and [[Plateau/Gorée Arrondissement|Plateau/Gorée]] (downtown Dakar).<ref>{{Cite report |url=http://www.ansd.org/SES2005.pdf |title=Situation économique et sociale du Sénégal Edition 2005 |last=Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie |first=Government of Senegal |date=2005 |page=163 |language=French |access-date=2007-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615173338/http://www.ansd.org/SES2005.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-06-15}}</ref> These arrondissements are quite different from the [[arrondissements of Paris]], being merely local administrative structures of the central state, like the Senegalese ''departments'', and are thus more comparable to French [[arrondissement in France|departmental arrondissements]].

[[File:Dakar - Assemblée nationale.JPG|thumb|left|The Assemblée nationale on the Plateau, the heart of old Dakar]]
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 thus on August 30, 1996, Dakar was divided into 19&nbsp;''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&nbsp;''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&nbsp;''communes d'arrondissement'' belong to either of the four arrondissements of Dakar, and the {{lang|fr|[[prefect|sous-préfet]]}} of each arrondissement is in charge of controlling the activities of the ''communes d'arrondissement'' in his arrondissement.

[[File:DKR Railway station.JPG|thumb|Dakar Central Station]]
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 populous ''commune d'arrondissement'' is Médina (136,697&nbsp;inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. The ''commune d'arrondissement'' of [[Yoff]] (55,995&nbsp;inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Almadies, is the largest one, while the smallest one is the ''commune d'arrondissement'' of [[Gorée|Île de Gorée]] (1,034&nbsp;inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée.

Dakar is one of the 14&nbsp;[[regions of Senegal|''régions of Senegal'']]. The Dakar ''région'' encompasses the city of Dakar and all its suburbs along the [[Cap Vert|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.

== Notable sites ==

[[File:Dakars Mamelles (5824544243).jpg|thumb|left|[[Deux Mamelles]] seen from afar, with the [[African Renaissance Monument]] on the left and [[Les Mamelles Lighthouse]] on the right]]

The city of Dakar is a member of the [[Organization of World Heritage Cities]] and contains several landmarks. One of the most notable is [[Deux Mamelles]], twin hills located in [[Ouakam]] commune. The hills are the only high ground in the city, providing views of the entire area and sweeping views of the city. The first hill is topped with [[Les Mamelles Lighthouse|Mamelles Lighthouse]] built in 1864. The second hill has the newly completed [[African Renaissance Monument]] built on top, which is considered the [[List of tallest statues|tallest statue in Africa]].<ref>[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/dakar/in-location/sights/a/nar/7c70cebc-3d0a-4ddb-884a-93817409ddb5/355589 Les Mamelles – Dakar's Breasts]. ''Lonely Planets''. Retrieved May 4, 2018.</ref>

[[File:The African Renaissance Monument.jpg|thumb|The African Renaissance Monument]]

Other landmarks of the city include the [[medina quarter]] located in [[Médina, Dakar|Médina]] commune. Médina is originally built as a township for local populace during the French colonial era. Today, it is a traditional commercial center packed with tailors' shops. The most notable street market is Soumbédioune, which is also a major tourist attraction. The quarter also houses [[Dakar Grand Mosque]] at the heart of the commune, which is built in 1964 and one of the prominent landmarks of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Médina &#124; Senegal &#124; Sights|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/dakar/attractions/medina/a/poi-sig/1347424/355589|access-date=2022-08-13|website=www.lonelyplanet.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Grande Mosquée &#124; Senegal &#124; Sights|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/dakar/attractions/grande-mosquee/a/poi-sig/416888/355589|access-date=2022-08-13|website=www.lonelyplanet.com|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Spiaggia Dakar.JPG|thumb|right|Beach in Dakar]]
Dakar is flanked by four small islands, île de Yoff, Île de N'Gor, [[Îles de la Madeleine (Senegal)|Îles de la Madeleine]] and [[Gorée|Île de Gorée]]. Île de N'Gor is on the northern shore of [[Ngor, Dakar|N'Gor]] commune, with beaches providing attractions such as surfing. N'Gor commune also has other popular beach resorts such as Plage de N'Gor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/attractions/a/poi-sig/355585|title=Attractions in Senegal|last=Planet|first=Lonely|newspaper=Lonely Planet|access-date=2016-11-14}}</ref> Île de Gorée, formerly a slave island, is today a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] which preserves the colonial era architectures and facilities. Some notable places on the island include the Gorée Memorial, which is a memorial for the slaves, and the [[House of Slaves]], which is a museum dedicated to the [[Atlantic slave trade]]. Today, the island is also hosting the art scene of the hundreds of local artists who line up their works at the outdoor exhibitions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trourist – Powered by Travelers. For Travelers.|url=https://www.trourist.com/|access-date=2022-08-13|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Je" />

Some other notable places include Layen Mausoleum which entombs the founder of the [[Layene]] Sufi tariqa, Palais Présidentiel which is the seat of the government constructed in 1907,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Palais Présidentiel &#124; Senegal &#124; Sights|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/dakar/attractions/palais-presidentiel/a/poi-sig/416906/355589|access-date=2022-08-13|website=www.lonelyplanet.com|language=en}}</ref> Place de l'Indépendance which is the central square of Dakar, [[Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, Dakar|Dakar Cathedral]], and [[Cheikh Anta Diop University]] also known as the [[University of Dakar]], which was established in 1957.

== Places of worship ==
The most common [[places of worship]] in Dakar are [[Islam|Muslim]] mosques.<ref>J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ''Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices'', ABC-CLIO, US, 2010, p. 2573-2575</ref>   There are also [[Christianity|Christian]] churches: [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dakar]] ([[Catholic Church]]), [[Assemblies of God]], [[Universal Church of the Kingdom of God]].

Dakar was selected as the Capital of Islamic Culture for African Region for the year 2007 by the [[Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] (ISESCO), honoring its Islamic heritage.<ref>[https://www.isesco.org.ma/blog/2015/06/11/dakar-capital-of-islamic-culture-for-african-region-for-the-year-2007/ Dakar: Capital of Islamic Culture for African Region for the year 2007]. ''ISESCO''. Retrieved May 4, 2018.</ref> ISESCO and its parent organization [[Organization of Islamic Cooperation]] (OIC) have held several regional and international conferences in the city,<ref>[https://www.isesco.org.ma/blog/2017/10/11/isesco-and-oic-to-hold-regional-workshop-in-dakar-to-examine-implementation-mechanisms-of-oic-media-strategy-in-countering-islamophobia-and-publicize-islams-middle-stance-among-african-countr/ ISESCO and OIC to hold regional workshop in Dakar to examine implementation mechanisms of OIC Media Strategy in Countering Islamophobia and publicize Islam's middle stance among African countries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015704/https://www.isesco.org.ma/blog/2017/10/11/isesco-and-oic-to-hold-regional-workshop-in-dakar-to-examine-implementation-mechanisms-of-oic-media-strategy-in-countering-islamophobia-and-publicize-islams-middle-stance-among-african-countr/ |date=2018-06-28 }}. ''ISESCO''. Retrieved May 4, 2018.</ref> best known for adoption of Dakar Declaration in 1991, which aimed at fostering cooperation between the member states.<ref name=ifrc>{{cite web|title=Dakar Declaration|url=http://www.ifrc.org/docs/idrl/I643EN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326163852/http://www.ifrc.org/docs/idrl/I643EN.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-26 |url-status=live|publisher=IFRC|access-date=6 February 2013}}</ref>  Dakar is also known as the birthplace of the [[Layene]] Brotherhood, a [[Sufi]] [[tariqa]] founded by [[Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye]] in 1883 at the commune of Yoff. Seydina is buried in the Layen Mausoleum, which is among the major landmarks of Dakar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Layen Mausoleum &#124; Senegal &#124; Sights|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal/dakar/attractions/layen-mausoleum/a/poi-sig/416898/355589|access-date=2022-08-13|website=www.lonelyplanet.com|language=en}}</ref> Today, Layene Brotherhood is consisted mostly of the [[Lebou]] people and based in the Cap-Vert area. It is also the third-biggest Sufi order in Senegal.

Prominent worshiping sites for Muslims in Dakar include the Grand Mosque of Dakar, built in 1964, which is situated at Allée Pape Gueye Fall of Medina, the [[Mosque of Divinity]], constructed in 1973, situated in Ouakam, with the characteristic triangular windows, and Omarienne Mosque with [[minaret]]s topped by green orbs.<ref name="Je">{{Cite web|title=The culture capital of West Africa|url=https://www.jpost.com/international/the-culture-capital-of-west-africa-450042|access-date=2022-08-13|website=The Jerusalem Post &#124; JPost.com|date=3 April 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="at">{{Cite web|date=2017-04-25|title=Religious Beliefs In Senegal|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-senegal.html|access-date=2022-08-13|website=WorldAtlas|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Culture ==
[[File:"Ndaw rabine" dans traditionnelle lebou.jpg|thumb|N'dawrabine dance of [[Ngor, Dakar|Ngor]]]]
In [[Senegal]], the traditional culture is very centred around the idea of family. This even includes the way that they eat. When it is time to eat a typical meal, someone will say "kay lekk" which means 'come eat'. Everyone will come together and sit around the plate and eat with their hands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/senegal-guide|title=Senegal – Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette|website=www.commisceo-global.com|access-date=2016-11-14}}</ref> Some famous dishes include Cebbu Jën (Tiéboudienne) and Yassa. The etiquette of people in Dakar is very simple but very vital. To not greet someone upon sight is to portray rudeness and oftentimes ignorance. Due to French colonialism, the children of Dakar have a unique school system. The school will get a break at about midday and return home to get some rest. Since the population is majority Muslim, there are numerous daily Islamic activities ongoing, such as participating in noon prayer at the nearest mosque and attending the local mosque on Fridays. Music has a big influence on the youth, with famous artists like Daara J Family who use their voice to represent the problems in their communities.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://musicinafrica.net/hip-hop-senegal?language=en|title=Hip-hop in Senegal|date=2015-02-06|access-date=2016-11-14}}</ref>

Dakar is home to multiple national and international festivals, like [[World Festival of Black Arts]], Festival international du film de quartier de Dakar, [[Dakar Biennale]]. It was also the location of [[Taf Taf]], an international [[artist residency]] program.<ref>{{cite web |title=Taf taf – yhteisötaiteen residenssi Senegalissa |url=http://www.turuntaiteilijaseura.fi/taftaf.html |website=Turun taiteilijaseura |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213112918/http://www.turuntaiteilijaseura.fi/taftaf.html |archive-date=February 13, 2012}}</ref>

{{Further|Association générale des étudiants français en Afrique noire}}

=== Museums ===
[[File:DakarMusée.jpg|thumb|right|[[IFAN Museum of African Arts]].]]
*[[IFAN Museum of African Arts]] or Musee Theodore Monod
*[[Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum]]
*[[House of Slaves]]
*Village des Arts
*Parc Forestier et Zoologique de Hann, aka the Senegal Zoo
*[[Museum of Black Civilisations]]<ref>{{citation|website=BBC News |date=December 6, 2018|access-date=August 10, 2019|title=Senegal unveils Museum of Black Civilisations|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46467098}}</ref>
*[[Dynamic Museum]]

== Sports ==
Sports club [[AS Douanes (Senegal)|AS Douanes]] are based in [[Sicap-Liberté]]; they play in the [[Senegal Premier League]] and previously won the [[2014–15 Ligue 1 (Senegal)]] season.

Dakar used to be the finishing point of the [[Dakar Rally]] until 2007, before the event was moved to [[South America]] for the security concerns in [[Mauritania]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clutchandchrome.com/News/0901/News0901005.htm |title=Motorcycle competitors race away as Dakar Rally leaves Buenos Aires |date=2009-01-03 |publisher=Clutch & Chrome |access-date=2009-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120210942/http://www.clutchandchrome.com/News/0901/News0901005.htm |archive-date=January 20, 2009 }}</ref>
[[File:Map of Trans-African Highways.PNG|thumb|left]]

Dakar was set to host the 2022 edition of the [[Youth Summer Olympics]], however, the games have been postponed to [[2026 Summer Youth Olympics|2026]], it will be the first Olympic event to ever be held in Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1070831/senegal-officially-awarded-2022-summer-youth-olympic-games-at-ioc-session|title=Senegal officially awarded 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games at IOC Session|date=Oct 8, 2018|website=www.insidethegames.biz|access-date=Jul 26, 2020}}</ref>

== Transport ==
[[File:Aéroport international Blaise Diagne.jpg|thumb|left|[[Blaise Diagne International Airport]]]]
[[File:Le TER à la gare de Dakar, le 15 janvier 2019.jpg|thumb|The [[Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD]] (TER)]]
The [[Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables]] (CETUD) was founded in 1997 to coordinate transportation in the Dakar region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CETUD |url=https://cetud.sn/cetud/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=CETUD - Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains durables |language=fr-FR}}</ref> A 2021 study by CETUD revealed that the national economy suffers an annual loss of nearly CFA francs 900 billion (approximately USD $1.4 billion) as a result of poor air quality, traffic congestion, hazardous roads, and noise pollution. This represents nearly 6% of the country's yearly GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tam |first=Alphonse |date=2025-01-07 |title=Dakar, Senegal Receives the 2025 Sustainable Transport Award as the STA Program Celebrates 20 Years |url=https://itdp.org/2025/01/07/dakar-senegal-receives-2025-sustainable-transport-award/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref>

The town is home to the [[Autonomous Port of Dakar]] and the terminus of the non-functioning [[Dakar-Niger railroad line]].

[[File:Place indépendance Dakar 1.jpg|thumb|Place indépendance Dakar 1]]

Three [[Trans-African Highway network|Trans-African Highways]] (TAHs) start from Dakar: the [[Cairo–Dakar Highway|Cairo-Dakar Highway]] (TAH 1), the [[Trans-Sahelian Highway|Dakar-Ndjamena Highway]] (TAH 5), and the [[Trans–West African Coastal Highway|Dakar-Lagos Highway]] (TAH 7).

The [[Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD]] (TER) will connect Dakar with [[Blaise Diagne International Airport]] (AIBD).  An initial {{Convert|36|km}} will link Dakar to Diamniadio and a second phase of {{Convert|19|km}} would connect Dakar to the Blaise Diagne airport. A total of 14 train stations will be served and the fastest end-to-end journey will take 45 minutes. The railway is expected to carry 115,000 passengers per day. The TER's first test run launched on 14 January 2019 and the first passenger train ran in December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/alstom-train-makes-first-run-in-dakar/47882.article|title=Alstom train makes first run in Dakar|website=Railway Gazette International|access-date=Jul 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/president-sall-takes-delivery-of-ter-dakars-new-train-service/ |title=President Sall takes delivery of TER, Dakar's new train service - Journal du Cameroun |access-date=2019-01-16 |archive-date=2019-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116150051/https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/president-sall-takes-delivery-of-ter-dakars-new-train-service/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/senegals-new-commuter-train-makes-first-journey-capital-dakar-2021-12-27/|title=Senegal's new commuter train makes first journey from capital Dakar|first=Diadie|last=Ba|work=www.reuters.com|date=December 27, 2021|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref>

The city has a 100% electric [[bus rapid transit]] (BRT) network: [[Sunu BRT]], which currently has two routes in operation, with two more planned.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Sunu BRT - Le Bus Rapid Transit entre Dakar à Guédiawaye |url=https://www.sunubrt.sn/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Sunu BRT - Bus Rapid Transit Dakar |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tam |first=Alphonse |date=2024-03-22 |title=Dakar, Senegal's Electric BRT Leads the Way for African Cities |url=https://itdp.org/2024/03/22/dakar-senegals-electric-brt-leads-the-way-for-african-cities/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> The electric bus fleet consists of 144 articulated e-buses, dedicated right-of-way and 32 feeder bus routes.<ref name=":0" /> The construction of the Dakar BRT was funded by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, and the Government of Senegal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-15 |title=Senegal's Sall inaugurates e-bus fleet of Dakar public transport network |url=https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/15/senegals-sall-inaugurates-e-bus-fleet-of-dakar-public-transport-network// |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Africanews |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The bus fleet was financed, acquired, and is operated by the private sector under a 15-year concession agreement established in 2021. The private sector entity, Dakar Mobilité, is a partnership between Meridiam and the Fonds d’Investissement du Sénégal.<ref name=":0" /> The BRT development created 1,000 direct jobs, 35-45% of which were roles for women.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tam |first=Alphonse |date=2025-01-07 |title=Dakar, Senegal Receives the 2025 Sustainable Transport Award as the STA Program Celebrates 20 Years |url=https://itdp.org/2025/01/07/dakar-senegal-receives-2025-sustainable-transport-award/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> The BRT system is expected to carry approximately 300,000 passengers per day and reduce travel times from 95 to 45 minutes<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-11 |title=The Dakar BRT System's Pioneering Journey Towards Inclusive Electrification in Africa |url=https://africa.itdp.org/the-dakar-brt-systems-pioneering-journey-towards-inclusive-electrification-in-africa/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dakar Mobilité |url=https://www.proparco.fr/en/carte-des-projets/dakar-mobilite |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.proparco.fr}}</ref>  After the development of the system, 69% of the city’s population can access the city centre in under an hour, compared with just 12% before the BRT.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adrian |first=MALLINSON |date=2024-01-22 |title=100% electric buses for dakar |url=https://www.systra.com/en/news/100-electric-buses-for-dakar/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Group |language=en}}</ref> 

[[Blaise Diagne International Airport]] is the city's international airport; it handles flights by several airlines, including [[Air France]], [[Delta Air Lines|Delta]], [[Emirates Airline|Emirates]] and [[Emirates Sky Cargo]], [[Iberia Airlines|Iberia]], [[TAP Air Portugal]] and [[Turkish Airlines|Turkish]], and is the hub of Senegal's flag carrier, [[Air Senegal]].

== Notable people ==
{{div col}}
*[[Abdoulaye Faye]], footballer
*[[Akon]], R&B singer
*[[Baaba Maal]], singer and guitarist
*[[Babacar Khane]], yoga practitioner
*[[Boris Diaw]], basketball player
*[[Bouna Coundoul]], footballer
*[[Cheikh Anta Diop]], Historian, anthropologist, physicist, politician [[Cheikh Anta Diop University]]
*[[Mantoulaye Guene]], politician and Minister of Social Development
*[[Cheikh Samb]], basketball player
*[[DeSagana Diop]], former basketball player, head coach of the [[Westchester Knicks]]
*[[Didier Raoult]], microbiologist and virologist, was born in Dakar in 1952
*[[Fatou Samba]], member of South Korean girl group [[Blackswan]]
*[[Hamady N'Diaye]], basketball player
*[[Ibou Badji]], basketball player
*[[Ibrahim Ba]], former footballer
*[[Ismaël Lô]], singer-songwriter
*[[Idrissa Gueye]], footballer
*[[Issa (Senegalese singer)|Issa]], R&B singer
*[[Khaby Lame]], influencer
*[[Macoumba Kandji]], footballer
*[[Mamadou N'Diaye (basketball, born 1975)|Mamadou N'Diaye]], former basketball player for [[Auburn Tigers men's basketball|Auburn University]] and the [[Toronto Raptors]]
*[[Mame Biram Diouf]], footballer
*[[Marc Lièvremont]], former [[rugby union|rugby]] player and former head coach of the [[France national rugby union team]]
*[[Marcel Lefebvre]], Founder of the [[SSPX]], Apostolic delegate to Pope [[Pius XII]], and [[Archbishop of Dakar]].
*[[Mbaye Diagne]], United Nations military observer and hero during the Rwandan genocide
*[[Mouhamed Gueye]], basketball player
*[[Ofeibea Quist-Arcton]], foreign correspondent for NPR News
*[[Orchestra Baobab]]
*[[Ousmane Barro]], basketball player
*[[Papa Amadou Kante]], basketball player
*[[Papa Bouba Diop]], former footballer
*[[Pape Paté Diouf]], football player
*[[Papiss Cisse]], footballer
*[[Patrice Evra]], former footballer,
*[[Patrick Vieira]], former footballer
*[[Pélagie Gbaguidi]], contemporary artist
*[[Sadio Mane]], footballer
*[[N'Goné Fall]], cultural consultant
*[[Sheck Wes]], rapper, songwriter, model
*[[Ségolène Royal]], French politician born in Dakar
*[[Souleyman Sané]], former footballer
*[[Tacko Fall]], basketball player
*[[Thione Seck]], singer and songwriter
*[[Wasis Diop]], musician
*[[Youssou N'Dour]], singer and percussionist
{{div col end}}

== International relations ==
{{Main|List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Africa#Senegal|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Senegal}}

Dakar is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>L. Bigon (2009) ''A History of Urban Planning in Two West African Colonial Capitals: Residential Segregation in British Lagos and French Dakar, 1850–1930'' [[Lewiston, New York]]: [[Edwin Mellen Press]].</ref>
{{Div col}}
*{{flagdeco|US}} [[Ann Arbor]], [[Michigan]], United States
*{{flagdeco|AZE}} [[Baku]], Azerbaijan<ref name="Azerbaijan twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.azerbaijans.com/content_1719_en.html|title=Twin-cities of Azerbaijan|access-date=2013-08-09|work=Azerbaijans.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://duesseldorfdakarcycling.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/finally-dakar-28-07-2014/|year=2014|title=Monument in Dakar, on which "City Baku" was written in Russian and "City Dakar" in French}}</ref>
*{{flagdeco|CMR}} [[Douala]], Cameroon
*{{flagdeco|IRN}} [[Isfahan]], Iran
*{{flagdeco|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], Australia
*{{flagdeco|ITA}} [[Milan]], Italy<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fcontentlibrary%2FIn+Comune%2FIn+Comune%2FCitt+Gemellate%2F |title= Città Gemellate |publisher= Comune di Milano |language= it |access-date= 6 April 2012 |archive-date= 27 October 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141027040938/http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fcontentlibrary%2FIn+Comune%2FIn+Comune%2FCitt+Gemellate%2F |url-status= dead }}</ref>
*{{flagdeco|ALG}} [[Oran]], Algeria
*{{flagdeco|BAN}} [[Rangpur, Bangladesh|Rangpur]], Bangladesh
*{{flagdeco|ARG}} [[Rosario]], Argentina<ref name="Rosario twinnings">{{cite web |url=http://www.rosario.gov.ar/mr/mri/www/city-city-program/town-twinning-agreements |title=Town Twinning Agreements |publisher=Municipalidad de Rosario – Buenos Aires 711 |access-date=2014-10-14 |archive-date=2015-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319103223/http://www.rosario.gov.ar/mr/mri/www/city-city-program/town-twinning-agreements |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*{{flagdeco|GNB}} [[Bissau]], Guinea-Bissau
*{{flagdeco|ROC}} [[Taipei]], Taiwan
*{{flagdeco|US}} [[Washington, D.C.]], United States<ref name="Washington DC">{{cite web|url=http://os.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/os/publication/attachments/OS_DC_Dakar_Renewal_2006.pdf |title=DC Sister City Agreement |publisher=The District of Columbia |access-date=3 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606225333/http://os.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/os/publication/attachments/OS_DC_Dakar_Renewal_2006.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2014 }}</ref>
{{Div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{See also|Timeline of Dakar#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Dakar}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Senegal}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180701000000*/http://www.villededakar.org/ Dakar official website] {{in lang|fr}} (archived)
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Dakar|short=x}}
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Dakar|short=x}}

{{Sister bar|auto=yes}}
{{Dakar}}
{{Communes of Dakar}}
{{List of African capitals}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dakar| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:1664 establishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1677 establishments in the French colonial empire]]
[[Category:1857 establishments in the French colonial empire]]
[[Category:Capitals in Africa]]
[[Category:Communes of Senegal]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Senegal]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 15th century]]
[[Category:Populated places in Dakar region]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Africa]]
[[Category:Regional capitals in Senegal]]