Dakar is the capital of Senegal and the busiest West African port on the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of almost 2.4 million (2002). It is Senegal's largest city with about a quarter of the country's population and is its administrative and economic centre.

Dakar grew from a settlement around a French fort built in 1857 and its importance increased substantially once it was linked to the Senegal River by rail. Dakar was made a "self-run commune" in 1871, along with Gorée, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis, which meant that it elected one of Senegal's representatives to the French National Assembly in Paris. Dakar became the capital of French West Africa in 1902, and a new railroad linking it with interior peanut-growing areas and the Niger River was completed in 1923. Gorée was united with Dakar in 1927 and Rufisque followed exactly a decade later. The Free French Forces under Charles de Gaulle were unsuccessful in freeing the city from Vichy control during World War II, but U.S. forces arrived in 1942 and stayed until the end of the war. After the war, Dakar expanded greatly. It was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation (1959-1960) just before it became the capital of a newly independent Senegal.

Dakar is home to the University of Dakar, the Senegalese National School of Administration, the UN African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), and the Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire. The city hosts many international conferences and its international airport is the main stopping point for flights from Europe to South America.

Of course, it's also known for the world famous Paris-Dakar Rally.

A map of Dakar:

http://polyphonie.nexenservices.com/senegal-online/anglais/cartographie/dakar.htm

A really nice photo gallery:

http://polyphonie.nexenservices.com/senegal-online/anglais/galeries/photographies/dakar/index.html