Dakar, city, western Senegal, the country's capital and largest city, on Cap Vert Peninsula (the westernmost point of the African continent) and on the Atlantic Ocean. The port of Dakar, one of the finest of western Africa, is equipped with modern cargo-handling facilities, including warehouses, a fueling station, and loading piers. The city's strategic location, midway between Europe and South Africa and Europe and South America, has made it an important air and maritime center. The railroad and highway center of Senegal, Dakar is also connected with other important African cities by air as well as by rail. In recent years it has become an important fishing port, particularly for tuna, as well as a fish-processing center. Other industries are peanut oil processing, sugar refining, baking, brewing, and the manufacture of soap and textiles. Notable modern buildings are an art museum and a large medical center. It is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop. The University of Dakar was founded in 1949; it includes the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, a noted center for the study of African culture.
Dakar was founded in 1857 by the French. Its commercial importance dates from 1885, with the completion of the railroad linking it with the city of Saint-Louis, Senegal, on the Sénégal River. In 1902 Dakar replaced St-Louis as the capital of French West Africa. Dakar was a French commune in Senegal from 1887 to 1924, when it was established as an autonomous district known as Dakar and Dependencies. In 1946 this district was incorporated with Senegal. During World War II Dakar was controlled by the French Vichy government until U.S. forces invaded North Africa and occupied the city from 1942 until the end of the war. Population (1994 estimate) 1,641,358.
