Senegal became independent from France in 1960 and has Dakar as its capital. Senegalese independence followed the dissolution of the Mali Federation, which briefly united Senegal with the former French Sudan, now Mali.
Senegal had been part of French West Africa, and French influence shaped its administration, education, and official language. Léopold Sédar Senghor became the country’s first president after independence and remained in office until 1980. Dakar, on the Cape Verde Peninsula, had already been an important colonial port and regional centre.
Senegal is on Africa’s westernmost mainland coast, where the Senegal River forms much of the northern border with Mauritania. The country is also associated with the historic island of Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Senegal’s modern cultural identity combines several local traditions with French and wider Atlantic influences.