Dakar

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Capital, chief port (with artificial harbour), and administrative centre of Senegal; population (2007 est) 2,243,400. It is situated at the tip of the Cape Verde peninsula, the westernmost point of Africa. It is a major industrial centre, with industries including mineral-oil and groundnut-oil refining, engineering, vehicle assembly, chemicals, brewing, and tobacco- and food-processing. Dakar contains the Grand Mosque, National Museum, and a university (established in 1949).

History
The Dakar area was first settled by European merchants in the 15th century. The offshore island of Gorrée, partially enclosing the harbour of Dakar, was an important Dutch trading post in the 17th century. After many changes of control the island reverted to the French in 1817; it was formerly the seat of government of French West Africa. Dakar was first occupied permanently in 1857, and developed with the construction of the railway to Saint-Louis in 1885; it was further linked by rail to Bamako (Mali) on the River Niger in 1923. Dakar became a French naval base in the early 1900s. In July 1940 an unsuccessful naval action was undertaken by British and Free French forces to seize Dakar as an Allied base, following the French government's armistice with the Axis powers. It was occupied by US forces from 1942 to the end of the war.

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