Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is a cosmopolitan city. Just under two million people live in Dakar and its environs. It covers only 0.28% of the country's surface area but accounts for 22% of its total population. It was founded by the French in 1857 at the site of a fishing village. Its importance as a trading centre started to grow in 1885 with the establishment of a rail link with the city of Saint-Louis on the Senegal River. Dakar is the political, administrative, economic and cultural centre of Senegal. It is built around a magnificent deepwater basin - the reason for the city's emergence as a major port in the 1860s.

The climate is hot all year round and the sun shines brightly almost every day. There are two main seasons: a dry season from October to June, with temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 27 °C, and a rainy season from June to October, with average temperatures between 30 °C and 36 °C.

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