Ouakam

Ouakam
Commune d'arrondissement

Ouakam location
Country  Senegal
Region Dakar Region
Department Dakar Department
Population (2007)
  Total 48,595
Time zone GMT (UTC+0)

Ouakam is a commune d'arrondissement in the city of Dakar, Senegal. The commune is the birthplace of French politicians Ségolène Royal and Rama Yade and Senegalese writer and politician Birago Diop.

Description

Ouakam is an ancient village that has been absorbed as a residential suburb of Dakar. It is situated on the Atlantic coast at the foot of a range of hills, the Deux Mamelles, Ouakam has two beaches, one of which is popular among surfers.

According to the 2002 census, the commune of Ouakam comprised 43,188 people. At the end of 2007, according to official estimates, the population had grown to 48,595 inhabitants.

The Mosque of the Divine was built by Mohamed Gorgui Seyni Guèye (1926–2007), a holy man who claimed to see the mosque in a dream. He followed the dream to the beach on June 28, 1973, where he received an order from the Lord to build it. The African Renaissance Monument was constructed on one of the Deux Mamelles hills in Ouakam and was unveiled on April 4, 2010.

Economy

The village of Ouakam is home to the Lebou people, many of whom are fishermen. In the colonial era, Senegalese riflemen were garrisoned at Ouakam, while today the community is home to several military encampments such as the National Military Academy, a French Army air base, and a Senegalese Air Force base. Ouakam is also a tourist center, especially with the construction of the new Monument to the African Renaissance.

Famous individuals born in Ouakam

Sources

See also

External links

Coordinates: 14°43′26″N 17°29′21″W / 14.72389°N 17.48917°W