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Dakar
Dakar , city (1988 pop. 672,991), capital of Senegal, W Senegal, on Cape Verde Peninsula, a port on the Atlantic Ocean. Situated in a market-gardening region, Dakar is Senegal's largest city and its administrative, communications, and economic center. Manufactures include refined sugar, peanut oil, fertilizers, cement, and textiles. Flour milling, oil refining, and fish canning are other important industries. The city is the busiest port in W Africa, serving Mali and Mauritania as well as Senegal, and has modern facilities for handling and storing goods. Dakar grew up around a French fort built in 1857. The first major pier was completed in 1866. Dakar's importance increased significantly after 1855, when a railroad linked it with the Senegal River. In 1887 it was made a commune, along with Gorée, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis ; the communes together elected a deputy to the French National Assembly. Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. In 1923 a new railroad linked Dakar with interior peanut-growing areas and the Niger River. In 1940, Free French forces under Gen. Charles de Gaulle fought unsuccessfully to free Dakar from Vichy control, but in late 1942 U.S. forces occupied the city and stayed to the end of World War II. Dakar was the capital of the short-lived (1959-60) Mali Federation. Since 1945, the city has expanded greatly. Nearby are sandy beaches and a zoological and forest park. Dakar's Roman Catholic cathedral (inaugurated 1929) is the seat of an archbishop. The Univ. of Dakar (1949), the National School of Administration, a school for librarians, and a UN-administered institute of economic development and planning are in the city. It is also the site of the famous Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire, which promotes scholarly research in many fields. The city hosts many international conferences on artistic and scholarly topics. Dakar's Yoff international airport is the main stopping point for flights from Europe to South America. |
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"Dakar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Dakar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Dakar.html "Dakar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Dakar.html |
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Dakar
Dakar, Senegal Having established a trading post c.1750, the French built a fort here in 1857. According to legend, when they asked the natives the local name of the place, they responded as though the French were asking the local name of the tamarind tree which grew in profusion along the coast. Thus Dakar is said to be derived from a Wolof word n'dakhar ‘Tamarind Tree’. It has also been suggested that the name may come from Deuk Raw ‘Land of Refuge’, the name given to the Cape Verde Peninsula, on which Dakar lies, by refugees fleeing the oppression exercised further inland. The city became the capital of French West Africa in 1904; it was the capital of the brief Mali Federation (1959–60) and has been the capital of Senegal since 1960.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Dakar." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Dakar." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Dakar.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Dakar." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Dakar.html |
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Dakar
Dakar Capital and largest city of Senegal, w Africa. Founded in 1857 as a French fort, the city grew rapidly with the arrival of a railroad (1885). A major Atlantic port, it later became capital of French West Africa. There is a Roman Catholic cathedral and a presidential palace. Dakar has excellent educational and medical facilities, including the Pasteur Institute. Industries: textiles, oil refining, brewing. Pop. (1997 est.) 1,968,300.
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"Dakar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Dakar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Dakar.html "Dakar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Dakar.html |
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Dakar
Dakar
•Dakar, fracas
•tramcar • Shankar
•Farquhar, kaka, markka, taka
•railcar • cablecar • streetcar • Indycar
•Hamilcar • tricar • sidecar • stockcar
•boxcar • chukar • Issachar • motorcar
•advocaat
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Cite this article
"Dakar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Dakar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Dakar.html "Dakar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Dakar.html |
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