DAKAR is the Capital and Largest City of Senegal in West Africa. Where is Dakar located ? It is located midway between the mouths of the Gambia and Senegal rivers on the southeastern side of the Cape Verde Peninsula, close to Africa’s most westerly point. When was Dakar founded ? Dakar was founded in 1857 when the French built a fort on the site of the modern Place de l’Indépendance to safeguard the interests of merchants who had been settling there for 20 years and of the residents of Gorée, a waterless island in the lee of the peninsula that once was an outpost for slave and other trading. How did the city of Dakar arrive at its name ? The city’s name comes from dakhar, a Wolof (member/language) name for the tamarind tree, as well as the name of a coastal Lebu village that was located south of what is now the first pier. What is Dakar's population ? The largest city in Senegal is Dakar, with a population of 3.5 Million (Dakar city has 2.47 Million