Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, is home to just over one million residents or two and a half million if the municipal area is taken into consideration and it is also a major port, not least because of its strategic position on the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It became a capital city when it replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902 and became one of the major cities of the French empire as it was strategically important due to its naval base and coaling station in its harbour.

Today Dakar is an exciting city boasting a wide array of nightclubs, festivals and live music, and this level of activity is reflected in the noise of the place together with its street hawkers, and oh so corrupt officials. Nearby are beach hotels and numerous water sports. Senegal is the closest country to the USA and, as such, was a main access route for the slave trade, with its nearby Goree Island being the centre of that trade, processing thousands of men, women and children over centuries before they were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean.

Today the island, two miles off the coast, is an UNESCO Historical Monument where visitors can gain some insight into the barbarity of that trade. After you've watched this video about Dakar, make a virtual landing at Dakar International Airport, also known as Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport, here then explore Dakar using our interactive map below and zoom in on areas of interest.

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