Pikine

14°45′0″N 17°24′0″W / 14.75000°N 17.40000°W / 14.75000; -17.40000Country SenegalRegionDakar RegionDepartmentPikineArea • Total87 km² (34 sq mi)Population • Total1,170,791 • Density13,000/km² (35,000/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)

Pikine is a city in the Pikine Department of the Dakar Region of Senegal. Lying to the east of Dakar city centre, at the 2013 Census it had a population of 1,170,791. The department includes the villages of Yeumbeul, Thiaroye, Mbao, and Keur Massar Malika. Until the mid-2000s, it also included Guédiawaye, which now forms a separate Department.

The city was founded in 1952 by the colonial government for former residents of Dakar who were relocated for new developments. This original city is now known as "Old Pikine", while an informal community has grown up around it.

The Grande Niaye de Pikine, a green area known for market gardening, lies to the north west of Pikine.

The Mbeubeusse Landfill, the Dakar region's sole waste facility, is situated in Pikine.^[1]

Notable people

• Pape Cissé, footballer
• Mbaye Diagne, military officer and United Nations Military observer who was credited with saving many lives during the Rwandan genocide grew up in Pikine
• Aïssatou Diamanka-Besland, writer
• Bamba Dieng, footballer
• Cheikhou Dieng, footballer
• Oumar Diouck, footballer
• Amadou Hott, Minister of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation of Senegal
• Andreas Manga, footballer
• Momar Ndoye, footballer
• Mamadou Seck, politician
• Thione Seck, singer and songwriter.

Gallery

References

• GeoHive: Senegal
• Quartiers du Monde: Histoires Urbaines
• Projet urbaDTK
• RUAF Foundation: Pikine (Dakar - Senegal)